Need Me, Need You
by Mandy138
Summary: Read first notes in each chapter. FF7 with Leon and FF8 knowledge. CxA. Taken from KH, but doesn't really belong there. Cloud and Aerith reunite, blissfully, joyously, painfully.
1. Stay With Me

This is from the ending credits in the Hollow Bastion Library, so it should be inferred that this is a Cloud and Aeris fic. Although, to me, it seems as if it's mostly from Cid's POV so far. If you're reading this, I take it you are familiar with the game. And as such, I've taken liberties to not bore you with needless reiterances of place names and weapons. You all know what they're called. =)

All readers feel free to review. This is my first fanfic, but I'm not asking for any special favors.

Revision: I have just beaten KH again and it has given me some inspiration. Yes, Squall is present in the library scene. However, he is still not from the FFVII world. =P But I have rewritten this to include him in it. This will actually add a delicious flavor of tension to the story. BWAHAHHAAHHAHHAHAHA!

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*** = Shift in PoV

' ' = Thoughts

[ ] = Cloud's Thoughts

" " = Dialogue

::: = Flashback

[ ] = Suggested Soundtrack

( ) = Disc – Track Number

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[Wandering Flame – Final Fantasy X OST (4-07)]

They were walking down the long and ornately decorated hallway, seemingly relaxed. Well, one of them. The taut muscles in the jaw of the shorter one betrayed his tension. Now that the Heartless had been removed from Hollow Bastion, Cid could leisurely look about. And he did, taking in the sights and reminiscing on the strange nostalgic feeling this place surfaced. But the silence was beginning to get to him. He knew Cloud had never been a talkative person, but he was the only other one outside of the library. And so Cid alleviated his nervousness by turning to Cloud.

At first, he spoke of what he had been up to during Cloud's absence. The excitement of having his own shop, building ships. How he was grateful he had a legitimate purpose here and how he loved the little Gummi. But they were no replacement for his pride and joy, Highwind, and he couldn't wait to get back and start her up again! Next he moved onto how he met the others and how they had banded together. And now he had progressed to how glad he was, how they ALL were, that Cloud was healthy and safe, and back with them. 

'Walking with Cid towards the library is undoubtedly the most nerve-wracking thing that I've ever had to go through,' Cloud thought frantically, in another world altogether. 'What will I say!? Will I even be able to speak? More importantly, how can I face her? I'm so embarrassed and she's not even in front of me yet!' He hadn't really heard what Cid was saying, nor did he notice the abrupt ceasing of it. Cloud continued his worried speculating, unseeing eyes on the floor as they walked. He swore he could smell her from the moment he entered Hollow Bastion.

Cid had stopped his knowingly one-sided conversation and looked across at Cloud, taking in the boy's appearance and presence. 'Heh,' Cid laughed to himself. 'He's hardly a boy. Hell, he's a man in more ways than I am… Poor kid's been through so much. I can't honestly say I could've gone through what he did and come out as…well, any less fucked up than he is. But I can't help thinking otherwise. Shit, they're all kids to me.'

His appearance had not greatly changed. Still had that distinguishable wildly spiked blonde hair, but the arm…that was different. And he could not discern why it was adorned with that claw that so resembled Vincent's. Cid winced, pained by the remembrances of the others. Besides those found in Traverse Town, and the newly acquired Cloud, the fates of the others were unknown. Everyone knew the probable state, but that subject was taboo. Forcing his mind off the unwelcomed thoughts, he resumed his undressing of Cloud. The cape was mysterious as well, but more so than the claw. When questioned about either, he remained quiet and only a stern look was granted by way of an answer. The cape seemed more than show, however. It was the way Cloud acted when questioned about _that_ in particular. His sudden defensiveness and unwillingness to divulge information on it made Cid suspect he was hiding something. 

'But what could be so terrible that he would refuse me? _Is_ it hiding something?' Knowing this line of pondering was useless, Cid gave it up. 'It will reveal itself in time, I suppose. But I never was a patient man,' he grinned.

They were drawing ever nearer to the end of the hall that led to the commons of the library. Unperturbed, Cid continued to study Cloud. The man was obviously stressed. The clenched fists, tight jaw, and narrowed eyes illustrated that plainly enough. But Cid knew the reason for the young man's predicament,

__

her. The mere mention of her name had always been more than enough to rouse Cloud from _any_ frame of mind and cause him to focus with an insane intensity.

He had told him, of course. How could he not have? Everyone had known that she was special to Cloud, but her importance to him had been left to speculation. Most of the group had been rather certain he had loved her. But they could never say for sure, for Cloud never talked about his feelings, even to Tifa. Cid paused in his thinking to announce to Cloud, and noticed that he had momentarily snapped from his thoughts as well. "We're almost there, Cloud. Just up those stairs and through that door." 'Heh, I knew that would get him.' With a fading smile, Cid thought back to when they were reunited. 

And unbeknownst to Cid, Cloud, too, thought back to what had brought this meeting to reality. 

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[Where is This? – Kingdom Hearts OST (1-15)]

He had just arrived on this world, journeying here because it was rumored that Traverse Town was 'where people go to be found'. He had quickly moved off to the side so as to keep himself from being trampled by all the loading and unloading of passengers, scowling as he dodged many a wayward kid and occasional toy intent on tripping him on his way. As he stood by the large wooden doors in the shadows, he took in the scenery, trying to get a feel for this world's environment. There were people running, walking, and moving every which way. Carrying boxes, pulling carts and, in his opinion not enough children, and supplies with them. 

He was trying to gather information on where he should go now that he was here. 'Who to talk to?' he thought. 

As his surveillance of the town square came to focus on the huddling mass in the center, the occupying thought in his head was, 'What the hell are those!?' His scrutinizing of the unfamiliar beings twisted his face with a childish, confused expression. 'They almost look like bears. Little white bears. Only with a Carob nut on their head,' Cloud thought, not knowing what to make of them. 'They sure are animated.' An eyebrow arched at that. 'Who knew something so small could contain so much energy.' And that observance finished with Cloud's mood darkening. 'But then, Yuffie was always like that. Damnit! This place is my only good lead. I was told I would most assuredly find at least _one_ person from my world here. If no one's here, I-…I don't know what I'll do.' With a subdued countenance in light of his reality, Cloud proceeded to the large group, in the hopes they could help him. And if not, perhaps direct him to where that help could be obtained.

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They were all so happy to have been reunited again! There was so much hugging and kuppo'ing going on that none of them were aware of the stranger's approach until a few of the young ones gave off several alarmed kuppo. And most of the blissful group remained ignorant until their loved ones were incased by darkness. Only then did they terminate their rejoicing and focus on what had disturbed the happy occasion. 

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He was becoming quite desperate for information and wished to talk to the little 'bears' as soon as possible. Only when his shadow had eclipsed the bunch, and in startled silence had they turned to him, did he feel the slightest bit of guilt. He could see the young ones cowering behind any adult they could find. 'I must look horrifying.' He didn't want to intimidate them, they may hold back on whatever they could tell him. And he would take anything, now.

'This should help things,' Cloud mused as he started to squat before the gathering. Before he could reach a comfortable level with them, he was jolted slightly. Frowning, he reached over his right shoulder to grasp the hilt, and heard the deafening inhaling of bated breath. To put them more at ease, he looked away from them to the tip of his sword, adjusting it so it wouldn't keep him from going any lower. When finished, he returned his gaze to them and placed both hands in front of him and was pleased when they visibly relaxed.

He had all of the group's attention. 'Now would be a good time to ask, Cloud, before they get nervous again,' he berated himself.

"Excuse me," he cautiously addressed them. "I'm looking for someone. I was told this was the place to come. That this is where 'those who wished to be found go'. Is this true?" And try as he might, he could not keep the hope out of his voice.

Looking back at his collective brethren, Mog debated whether or not this fellow was dangerous. 'He seems genuine.' Nodding, Mog proceeded. "I suppose it's true in a way. Many people are gathering here to return to their worlds. Traverse Town has become a sort of docking station, kuppo."

Cloud hung his head in thought. 'Then it's very possible at least some of my comrades have gathered here. Perchance her as well…' Looking up to the creature that was acting as spokesperson, he asked, "Then is there somewhere I can go to find out who has arrived or departed, something like a registry, perhaps?"

Cloud sat there, waiting as patiently as he could for the little critter to answer his question, his eyes intently focused on the childish face before him.

With his head resting on his fist, Mog thought about whom could possible know such information. "Kuppo!" he exclaimed, throwing his stubby arms up. "Go to the Gummi shop! The man there knows much about the travels to and from here. He is helping move the immigrants around." Turning, he pointed behind him, Cloud's eyes following his movement. "Right up these steps, and to your left, and up the set of steps after the turn, is where you'll find him, kuppo!" And Mog nodded his head to encourage the man along.

Still looking to where the being had directed him, Cloud reminded himself to thank him. "Thank you," he said simply, and stood to be on his way.

The little moogle nodded by way of acknowledgement. Watching the stranger with his too-big sword. The little ones had long since come out to stare at him, and the braver ones followed him a few steps. A few came quickly wheeling back after the man had paused in his steps at the base of the stairs. Fearing that the man had misunderstood him, Mog uttered a reassurance. "It's just up those two sets of stairs. I'm sure what you seek can be answered there, kuppo!" Mog watched on as the man turned his head only as far as his shoulder and nodded. Mog cocked his head as the stranger did not advance right away. But soon enough, he was on the move again. Satisfied that he had helped, Mog turned back to his brood and clan members, everyone once again celebrating.

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[Friends in My Heart – Kingdom Hearts OST (2-06)]

As he left the happy crowd behind, Cloud could hear them resume their displays of affection. He focussed his attention to his current path. Turning the next corner, he ascended the second set of stairs. As he approached the top of them, the shop came into view. Really, it was nothing more than an alley's corner with makeshift counters. He watched the figure bent over across from him. All he could see of the man was a bit of blonde hair sticking up from behind the wooden…shelves? It was unclear what the man was doing, partly because he was facing away from him and partly because the containers shielded him. But the half-muffled curse that floated to his ears made Cloud's eyes grow wide and his feet stumble on the last step. Recovering from the bout of surprise, he advanced towards the visual barriers slowly, afraid to squander his hope. Peeking over the counter, Cloud inhaled sharply, shocked speechless.

'It's him. It's really him!' That thought filled his head and he closed his eyes, unable to bring himself to interrupt the over joyous reverie. 'Finally.' His selfish moment passing, Cloud decided to make his presence known. "I shoulda known a place like this is where you'd be found," he smirked.

Startled by the voice and the fact that he hadn't heard anyone approach and the familiar tenor sound, Cid lurched to see who it could be. But his first attempt to view him was abruptly ended when the top of his head connected with the bin he had been previously cleaning out. "Motherfucking--goddamn--short cases built for shitheaded little dwarves!@*&^!" he voiced as he rubbed his head free of the pain as he looked up. The grass he had been chewing immediately drifting to the ground. Cid reached over and grabbed the kid into a bear hug.

"Holy chocobo shit! How the hell did you get here!?!? I mean, you're here!" Cid had started to swing the kid back and forth, ecstatic to see him again. 

Bracing himself with one hand on the counter, Cloud returned Cid's hug with one arm. "It's good to see you, too," he voiced, smiling slightly. He was amused to feel the tensing of Cid's shoulders when he returned the embrace. Cid was obviously shocked to see something like this from him. But the truth was, he had been alone for so long. He had missed his comrades' company so much, and he hadn't realized to what extent until coming face to face with Cid. 

Pulling away from him, Cid held him at arms' length. "Damn, boy, it's good to see you. We were all worried about you. But we never stopped believing you were ok."

Puzzled, Cloud asked, "We? You've found the others?" Maybe Cid knew where everyone else was. Maybe he had been the only one missing. "_Every_one?"

Noticing the look in Cloud's eye, he let him down as gently as he could. "Nah, not everyone." Frowning, Cid continued. "I've found as many that found their way here. Beyond that, who knows 'bout the others."

Dropping his arms, Cid turned back to his box. "Y'know, you got here just in time." 

With his back to him, Cid didn't see the quirking of Cloud's suspicious eyebrow. "And just what do you mean by that? Do you have work for me to do, or something?" Cloud had made the group aware of his abilities long ago, and thought Cid needed him to carry something.

"What!? Make the savior of our world do menial labor? Never." All Cid got in response to his sarcasm was a snort. "I meant if you had been about fifteen minutes later, you would've missed me." This time Cloud's other eyebrow joined the previous one in a curious expression. "I was just packing up the last of my stuff. Made my final run about two hours ago, and now I'm off to join up with the others." Cid quickly glanced over his shoulder at Cloud. 'Hmpf, looking the other way. What's he thinking?'

Cloud spoke up. "So exactly how many are there if not all? Most of them?"

"Well, counting you and myself, four." Cid could hear the disbelief in the shocked puff of air Cloud let out.

"That's it!? That's only half the original group!" Cloud shouted, his mouth open and his eyes wide in anger. "…All the others were killed?" The sadness in his voice was clear.

He couldn't explain why, but for some reason Cloud's outburst had angered him slightly. "No! I told you that only those that found their way here are with me," he huffed. 'Maybe it's the thought of the others not _existing_ anymore is what bothers me. And to have him say it so openly…hurts,' Cid reflected.

"Then not many have," Cloud sighed. 

Finishing up his box, Cid turned 'round to Cloud again, taking in his downcast face. 'Shit. I wanted it to be a surprise, but it can't wait. I gotta tell 'im.' Cid shook his head a little, "Nah, it's not many and we haven't given up. But…" Cid looked to Cloud one more time, his face easing into a gentle expression and watching Cloud like a Zolom. "_She's_ there." 

Cloud's reaction was immediate. The stunned but painfully hopeful eyes bored into Cid. "She's---she's alive!" came the whispered exclamation. Cloud turned to the side in surprise, his fingers coming up to his mouth in thought. Facing Cid again, he asked, "Where? Where is 'there'?" Cloud's eyes were too pleading, he could feel it. But he didn't care. He just had to find out where she was. If she was _close._

"It'll be alright, kid. I was on my way there. Just let me finish loading up and we can get going." Cid bent back down to get the last box and handed it to Cloud. "Here, take this to my ship. The faster I get everything loaded up, the sooner we can be on our way," he smiled at him. 

Cloud nodded eagerly and started back the way he had come. Cid watched him go with a mischievous smirk until he paused at the bottom of the steps and turned back around.

"Um…. How do I know which ship is yours?" The expression on his face was both adorable and hilarious. He was so anxious to get going, but puzzled about how to go about the task.

Cid laughed to himself and shook his head. "I was wondering when you were gonna ask," and started to laugh louder as Cloud's embarrassment flushed across his features. "Just head back to the gate, you'll know which one's mine. And it's open. Just put the box next to the cockpit entrance and I'll place it where I want it later, 'k?" Smiling, he watched Cloud nod and hurry on his way. 'Sure, he may be 20-something, but he acts like such a kid at times.'

As soon as Cid was sure Cloud was well on his way, he ran around the counter and into the synthesizing shop. "Hey, guys, I need to use your phone-thingy!" And without waiting for a response, Cid quickly contacted his comrades. "Yuffie? You'll never guess who I just found!!!" And as he proceeded to tell her, he had to pull the phone away from his ear as Yuffie's squeal deafened all in range. He quickly told her they'd be there soon and left her to explain to the others who were present.

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[Beyond the Door – Kingdom Hearts OST (2-28)]

They had just climbed the stairs in the hall and now stood outside the entrance to the library. Cid stilled his hand on the doors' handles and asked of Cloud in a soft voice, "This is it. Are you ready?" Looking over at Cloud, he saw his nervous nod and heard his reply.

"As ready as I'll ever be. I've been waiting for this moment since she left," he said as he closed his eyes. "I've had plenty of time to prepare…" he sighed, opened his eyes and turned his head to peer at Cid. "I'm ready," he said in a voice that left no doubt. 

Cid gave him a nod then turned the handle, and together they walked in.

[Need me]

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[Always on My Mind – Kingdom Hearts OST (2-29)]

[Need me, Aeris.]

The door had opened and both Aeris and Yuffie had ceased their talking, anxious to see Cloud after so long. Squall had contented himself with just watching them. While Yuffie was literally bouncing, Aeris looked like she was holding back from doing so as well, and Squall was intrigued to see whom this 'Cloud' was. 

Cloud had been looking at Cid as they came through the door, as if Cid had been saying something to him. But what it was, Aeris couldn't tell. She had placed her hands behind her in her nervousness. She was smiling, elated to see him again, but she could feel her face trying to split when he suddenly looked up and made eye contact with her. Her blood rushing so quickly and her heart booming so loudly that she was sure everyone in the room could hear it.

[For while I have always wanted you…]

Cid had stopped a little ways into the room as Cloud had continued on to stand before Aeris. Everyone had become puzzled when he'd just stood there with his head bowed. That had not been the reaction they'd been expecting. But then again, they didn't really know _what_ to expect from Cloud. He was always so reserved.

'You!!!' was Squall's overruling thought. '_This_ is Cloud? The one I fought alongside with at the Coliseum? I'm so sorry, Aeris. If I had known this was the man you two were always talking about, I would have brought him to you.'

[…it wasn't until I lost you that I realized…]

Aeris had playfully gone and ducked her head so she could see his face. But the smile slipped from her face when after a few moments Cloud remained that way, head bowed, eyes tightly shut, and hands clenched at his sides. Cid and Yuffie looked at each other, becoming worried by his actions. Squall merely watched on, puzzled as well. For this was not the frightening warrior who had bedeviled the ring. 

[…I needed you.]

Cid mouthed to Yuffie, 'Is he crying?'

[So, please, Aeris, need me.]

Yuffie shook her head no and shrugged.

[Need me as I need you to.]

Aeris looked up at them quickly, her puzzlement mirrored on the others' faces. When they indicated they had no idea what Cloud was doing, she again ducked her head to see his face. When it remained unchanged, she placed her hand on the side of his face, "Cloud?" He had been acting strange since he'd come in. 

As soon as she had touched him, his body had gone completely slack. His hand came up to hold hers on him as he moved his head against and into her hand. Cid's and Yuffie's shocked gasps joined Aeris's quiet one, as Squall's fights and chest tightened. He didn't like the feeling he was getting. And Cloud knew what they all thought. This was, after all, very out of character for him. But losing and being without her for so long had decimated every shred of pride he would've held for a situation such as this. 

'Now's the time,' he urged himself. 'Witnesses be damned.' But soon it was just he and Aeris. And he proceeded to show her his feelings, much to everyone's amazement. He stopped his nuzzling of her hand and opened his eyes to look at her. 

Aeris didn't know what to think. This was Cloud, but it _wasn't_. 'Cloud is never so…so…_open_.' As she continued to examine his face, she saw the oh-so-brief flash of vulnerability. 'Whatever he's about to say or do, he's very unsure of it.' But as he started to move, her thoughts died and she could only watch the scene unfold.

He positioned the hand holding hers so that he held it from the outside, his fingers curling around to have the tips resting in her palm. He moved his free one up to cup her cheek and smiled gently, not tainted by bitterness as his had always been, when her eyes widened slightly. 'She's surprised, but not alarmed…

Yoshi.' He stepped in close to her, moving confidently, and lowered his head to meet her lips, both their eyes closing when he did so.

Cid had long since moved to stand by Yuffie. She had a better vantage shot of what was going on, after all. This was totally unexpected and both their mouths fell open, eyes wider than materia orbs. They looked at each other and started high-fiving each other, sharing the same thought. 'Bought damned time!' No matter how important this was for Cloud and Aeris, they wouldn't miss this for anything. So they continued to watch the two's armorous display.

The moment their lips met was when the tightening of his chest became too much. Its pressure crushed the fragile heart inside as his fingernails bit into his palms and the hot, burning tears leaked from his eyes. 'No,' Squall mentally cried. 'NO! Not like this! I didn't know that's how it was… Just when I finally allow someone in again… It _figures_!' he finished, as his head jerked down to the right in pain.

Cloud mentally sighed in exquisite delight. 'Just like the petals of those flowers she loves so much.'

Cloud had been becoming more and more unsure of this course of action as Aeris just stood there. She _had_ squeezed his hand, but somehow, he wanted more. The kiss was a little too…chaste for him. So to satisfy his own craving, and see if she felt the same about him, he moved his mouth on hers. Slowly, at first, to see if she would respond. And when she did, he moved constantly and rhythmically against her, squeezing his hands just slightly harder. In response, Aeris unconsciously moved closer to him, stopping when her breasts brushed against Cloud. His reaction to her touch had been an involuntary exhalation, and knowing she had caused that, Aeris blushed. But her embarrassment ended as Cloud's hand moved to just behind her head and pulled at her until they were flush. 

Squall couldn't take it anymore. This was just twisting the blade in the flesh. He quickly left the sight of them. Hurrying up the steps, he collapsed in the chair at the desk above. Leaning his elbows on its top, he attempted to calm himself, wiping the few tears that had escaped. But the more he wiped away, the more that came. And before he could fight it, he's head had buried itself into his arms which had folded upon the desktop, and his racking sobs soon overtook any pretense of blocking it out as he became lost within his grief.

Cid himself was starting to get very abashed about this entire thing and quickly grabbed Yuffie and covered her eyes until he could drag her out of sight. Thankfully, she kept fairly quiet. 'Good. The brat doesn't wanna disturb 'em, either.' And while he toted her along behind a bookshelf, he whispered, "You're too young to see that crap."

'Damn,' Cid thought. 'He's definitely no boy if he knows how to kiss like _that_.'

Yuffie, to her credit, protested as loudly as she dared. "What are you talking about!? I'm not a kid! I'm sixteen, for crying out loud! I know kids younger than me that have done more than that!" she huffed.

"Besides, it wasn't like it was lewd or anything!" 

"What!?!?" Cid exclaimed. "Lewd? You think that's nothing lewd? They were practically having sex standing up!!!"

Yuffie gave him a 'how can you say that' look. "Oh, shut up. You were enjoying it, too."

As Cid reddened up to his ears, Yuffie knew she had him. And who was she to pass up an opportunity to tease him? "Why you dirty old man. You were getting off on that weren't you?" With that said, she ran up to him and started poking him, teasing him with other similar comments until Cid had stopped uttering protests and stilled her hands.

He had become awfully subdued as he told her what he was thinking. "Nah, that's not it at all. It's just…I'm glad to see them finally together, y'know?" he said as he looked back the way they had come. 

"It's like… Ah, shit, I dunno how I can put this without it sounding so _corny_, but it's true. They just belong together. I can't say why." Cid had let go of Yuffie and had started to pace. "I mean, I've tried to picture him with someone else, anybody else, but it just doesn't feel _right_. I'm not being very clear." Turning to Yuffie, he asked, "Get what I'm saying?"

The pleading in his eyes was all wrong for Cid, and it threw Yuffie off. 'He really means what he's saying.' Yuffie gave Cid a soft, understanding smile. "Yeah, you old fart, I know what you mean. He's never more relaxed than he is when he's with her." Her brief moment of maturity fled, and in its wake her mischeiviousness returned. "Now, whatta ya say we go check on 'em again?" Not waiting for his response, Yuffie scrambled over to the bookshelf edge. Moments later, Cid was peering around from above her head. Both had wondered briefly where Squall had gone to, but passed it off just as quickly as him wanting to give them privacy, as well.

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Cloud eased his lips from hers. If he was this out of breath, Aeris must be on the verge of fainting. His hand moved to the top and back of her head as she leaned against him and he his head against hers. Her hand came to up to rest on his chest as her right arm went under his shoulder to half hug him. For a few minutes, they just listened to the other trying to catch their breath. With his enhanced stamina, Cloud caught his first. 'That was better than I ever could have imagined.' He turned his head into her a little more, inhaling the perfume of her hair and spoke softly into her ear. "Stay with me, Aeris."

Aeris's soft eyes opened half way, and she kept her head in its place. The hand put upon his chest clutched lightly at his shirt as she listened to his words with hope's wings bruising the walls of her heart.

"Stay with me, and never leave again," he continued in that silent murmur colored with desperation.

Unsure of how to go about replying to him, Aeris settled for a teasing comment on which she wished to be true with every second more she thought on it. But she didn't know if things were that deep yet… "Why, Cloud Strife," she answered, her whispery voice quavering and her hand tightening even more around the cloth, "are you proposing?" She had started with a smile, but that had completely disappeared as she barely managed to finish the question. What had started out as a joke, had become a genuine question for her.

Cloud brushed his head against her again, and meaning every word of it, said to her, "If that's what it takes."

Her eyes widened and she looked up at Cloud. With his head support now gone, he let his hand fall to rest on her shoulder blade and returned her gaze. Aeris examined his face, trying to determine his seriousness. And like a little schoolgirl, she buried her head into his chest and nodded against him. Cloud bowed his head, cheek lying on the top of her head.

"Then will you marry me?" 'Strange,' Cloud thought, 'I had not planned for this situation. And I always thought I'd be more nervous when it came time for me to ask anyone this.' Then it struck him. He didn't know for sure what Aeris's reply would be. That guy was here, the one from the tournament. He had only swept his eyes across him briefly, for he was not a major concern. But he _did_ notice that his attention was on Aeris. 'Perhaps I need to look out for him, or maybe it's too late? Please say there's nothing there.' And why was he here in the first place? He wasn't from their world. Pushing himself away from those thoughts, Cloud focused on Aeris's response. 'Ah, there's the nervousness I was expecting,' he swallowed to himself.

Grinning, Aeris lifted her head up, keeping her cheek against Cloud's as his head righted itself, and whispered into his ear. "As if you had to ask," she giggled, closing her eyes once more and sliding her cheek along his, coming around to kiss him. And she was delighted when Cloud met her and pressed closer.

"C'mon," he said, after pulling away. The relief he had felt at her statement was indescribable. He was now confident that nothing had transpired between those two in his absence. Wrapping his arm around her shoulder as they walked, he offered, "Let's find Cid and go back to someplace where I _know_ what the hell is going on."

Aeris could only nod, lost in her newfound bliss. She was anxious to get back home, too. _Home_ and not Traverse Town's sector three. They'd all be going back to their world and she and Cloud would have the same place to call 'home'. That thought made her almost deliriously happy and she giggled and rubbed her face against his chest. 

Looking down because of her movement, Cloud laughed, "What are you doing?"

Still smiling, she said, "Nothing. I'm just happy."

"Good," he said simply. 'I'm glad I was finally able to do something right.' Cloud hugged her against him a little tighter. 'And for the first time in my life, I'm truly happy.' And together they went to locate Cid and Yuffie, both smiling…and wondering just _when_ those two had left. Although it was cold of him and he knew it, he couldn't bring himself to care where the other man had gone. He didn't like the feeling he got when he thought of him…

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Notes*

I wrote this because I was tired of the lack of really well written stories out there. And also because there aren't nearly enough Cloud/Aeris ones. =\ I know in KH her name is Aerith, and while I find that one prettier, I kept the Aeris spelling because FFVII fans are familiar with that form.

I'm pretty happy with the way this turned out. Adding Squall (Leon) in is adding so much tension. I think it will actually better the story.

Those who have beaten the game know just when this carries on from the end movie. It's a subtle continuation, but one I felt appropriate.

Thanks for reading!


	2. Lift Off

This story was meant to be a stand-alone. But after waiting for over a month for some extremely stimulating stories to pop up, I've decided to expand on this. That and a lot of FF7 ideas have been planting themselves in my mind lately. So there may be other stories coming as well, unrelated to this one. When he is talked about from a third person perspective, it's Squall. But when addressed, I made it Leon. That's because his personality is different in KH, and as such, I'm using his given identity to reflect that. It'll all become clear. ^_^

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*** = Shift in PoV

' ' = Thoughts

" " = Dialogue

::: = Flashback

[ ] = Suggested Soundtrack

( ) = Disc – Track Number

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[Dearly Beloved – Kingdom Hearts OST (1-01)]

They had all gratefully piled into the ship and unloaded their wares. Cid had made a storage bin for each member of their team in his Gummi's War Room and he had had Cloud's sword in mind when designing it. So Cloud's bin had a special rack built into the underside of its lid where his sword could be secured. But because his weapon was so big, his bin was as well, taking up space he had been trying to conserve. He had also decided to store Squall's gunblade with Cloud's wares for the simple fact being that it was the only bin with large enough dimensions. 

Cid had been reluctant at first to make Cloud's this way, but was glad he had decided on it. …No one had really planned on Aeris coming back, but she was here. Not that he was glad she wasn't, but it had just seemed… too impossible for that to happen. But this whole bin thing worked out perfectly now. Her unretractable rods would be stored along with Cloud's sword. Although Cloud's differed in that one way, all the bins shared small, compartmented, hanging boxes in which materia was stored. This made for easier accessing, browsing, and loading times.

'Man,' he thought, 'that's kinda creepy. Store their stuff together and they _are_ together. It all worked out.

Cid, I should have never doubted your genius,' he congratulated himself with a huge grin.

Although void of his arms, Cloud had retained his cape. Which had made Cid's eyes narrow. 'I _knew_ he was hiding something. There's no doubt now. It can't be for fashion purposes. He's not concerned with that type of thing.' But Cloud had removed his claw appendage, which had surprised him. Surprised him because Cloud had been so defensive when questioned about it, and yet nothing was out of the ordinary.

'Ok, he wasn't hiding anything with the claw, but what about that cape? He has to be. That thing can't be _that_ comfortable,' he continued to ponder. 'The time will come, however, when he can't hide it anymore.

…He's gotta know he won't be able to hide it from her much longer.' And muttering what a weirdo the kid still was, Cid went back to prepping the ship for take-off and its long flight.

Once everyone had unloaded and was seated on the acceleration couch, Cid had begun the preflight sequencing. Looking back at the other three, he gave a quiet laugh. This Gummi, although built by him and therefore the greatest one out there, was a bit on the small side. Something that was made quite evident by the way his companions were all squished next to each other on the foremost acceleration couch. 

The secondary couch was occupied by Squall alone. Which he seemed fine with, and everyone else as well. He was giving off a most depressed aura and had withdrawn quite considerably since before boarding. The others couldn't think as to why he was acting this way, but Cloud had a sneaking suspicion. And it suited him just fine that he was all the farther from Aeris.

When he thinks of it as small, he's comparing it to the Highwind, as he does with all his ships. The Highwind was, after all, his crowning achievement to date. The Gummi were fun but lacked the real power he wanted in _his_ ships. In reality, this Gummi was probably the biggest civilian one out there. Civilian because in this world he had no Shinra funds to fall back on. And as such, his spending was limited quite severely, preventing him from creating any more masterpieces. 

As that last thought passed through his head, Cid raised a clenched fist and shook it at his mental ramblings, stopping when he felt something…_looking_ at him. Roused from his ranting, he turned to the direction of the creepy feeling, only to meet with Yuffie's wide eyes. He shuddered. 'I knew it was something horrible.'

Aloud, he said, "I thought I sensed a wicked presence." And he was most pleased by the immediate narrowing of her eyes. 'That'll teach her not to interrupt the musings of a genius.'

'Hmpf. What'll annoy him to no end? …Oh, yes! Bwahahhahaha!' Cid's nervousness grew as Yuffie's eyes once again returned to the large, round and innocent look. And as soon as she opened her mouth, he knew he was in for it. "Are we there yet?"

"Why you little--!!" He turned to chase her from his presence and was glad when Yuffie jumped from the couch and ran behind it into one of the bed couches, her little head bobbing from behind the sleep curtain.

Seeing that their little game had caused Cloud to wake from his dozing, Cid felt a grimace grow on his face. The kid doesn't sleep much as it is, and hardly in front of people. Cid watched him as he took in his surroundings with sleepy eyes. He had been resting his head on Aeris's shoulder, and as he straightened, Aeris woke up as well. 

Stretching his neck and arms, Cloud asked, "Have we already taken off?" The puzzlement on his face displayed his thoughts of 'did I sleep through it?'.

Shaking his head, Cid replied, "Nah, we ain't lifted off yet. Still going through the preflight."

"Still?" Cloud was amazed it was taking so long. "I didn't think it would take this long," he said looking up at Cid.

Cid scowled. "It doesn't. You fell asleep almost as soon as you all sat down."

Cloud flushed and brought his left hand up to rub the back of his head. "Sorry. Didn't know I was tired." He brought his hand back down and placed his right arm around Aeris's shoulders as he shifted to a more relaxed position, she turning to smile up at him as he did so. Squall tried to suppress the grimice and looked away, but kept his attention on what was happening.

Seeing that Cid had forgotten about her, Yuffie came out from her temporary hiding place and plopped down again next to Cloud. Being so cramped, Cloud adjusted by placing he left arm around Yuffie's shoulders and slid his butt forward to make it more comfortable. Surprised by the move, Yuffie looked up to Cloud with a slight blush on her face. Seeing that he wasn't looking at her, Yuffie put her clenched hands on her knees and looked down at them, embarrassed. She had originally joined the party because of Cloud's good looks. The fact that everyone had been loaded with materia was just an added bonus and gave a legitimate excuse to tail them a while longer. 

He was still as hot as ever. She had to admit Squall was beyond fine, too. But he was always so distant to her. Cloud had always included her in their dealings, one of the ways they were different. 'Why am I comparing them!?' And she stopped herself before she got too gung-ho about it.

After accommodating the girls, Cloud refocused on Cid. "I thought this ship would be bigger than this.

Being as it's yours and whatnot." 

The smirk on his face was not lost on Cid. He was being teased, by Cloud of all people. 'She really does change him,' he thought in a brief somber moment. "Well, shit. 'Course it is. I've got a War Room, gotta have that. And there's a viewing room. That's essential. It's not often that I'm in space," He said with a huge grin. "And there's even a bathroom and two sleeping couches. Big enough for two people each. Maybe not extremely comfortably, but two people could definitely fit in there." Looking aside at Cloud through the corner of his eyes. "I'm sure you and Aeris won't have any problems conserving space," he finished with a wicked grin. 

The pain that flared to his heart was hard to conceal, and Squall wasn't sure how good a job he was doing. 'But then, again,' he comforted himself, 'they're not really paying attention to me.' And he continued to watch the event's unfolding, not sure why he was putting himself through this torture. Shaking his head, he thought, 'I guess I'm just looking to see how strongly those two are connected, testing their bond. Maybe they're not as close as they appear.' But even as he completed his thought, he knew it didn't feel right. 'All I can do is watch for now. I'll know when the time is right to act.' And so he continued his silent visage. 

Cid had to admit, he'd never seen Cloud quite that red before. It had been directed at Cloud, of course, but peeking over at Aeris, he could see that she was comparably close in hue to Cloud. 

This was too much fun. It wasn't often he could get someone without them having a comeback. But to get _three_ of them? No way in Shinra's hell was he gonna pass this up. "Shit," he started again, "Yuffie's not very big. You could easily fit her in with you two. Might as well with the way you're pimping there on my couch." And Cid chuckled as Aeris and Yuffie brightened a little more, but it was Cloud's reaction that made him laugh out loud. Cloud was so flustered that his scalp was pink and he emitted choked noises from his hanging mouth. 

Deciding this was unbearable, Cloud got up and made his way around to the back of the acceleration couch, the ever-present cape fluttering behind him. "I'm going to the bathroom," he muttered as his voice dropped off, "gotta pee..."

Cid nodded in understanding. "Yeah, yeah. Sure it's not to masturbate?" And as Cloud tripped and all but ran the rest of the way to the lavatory's solace, Cid's echoing laugh accompanied him the entire way. And even Aeris and Yuffie couldn't help but giggle at his exit, with the slightest of smirks appearing on Squall's mouth. It was always good to see your foe flustered.

**********************

Turning away from the console, Cid directed one of the girls to get Cloud out from the bathroom. They were gonna lift off as soon as he was strapped in. Although this was Cid's baby, he wouldn't recommend taking off unsecured and he voiced this to the occupants.

Heeding Cid's warning, Aeris got up to go retrieve Cloud, but not without a parting warning for Yuffie and Cid to behave while she was gone. And with her teasing smile still lingering as she met Squall's gaze, Aeris parted from the cabin area in search of Cloud. Squall was more than tempted to go after her, but why put himself through more pain in witnessing more of their displays of affection? So instead, he sat half pouting in his previous seat.

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[Prelude – Final Fantasy VII (1-01)]

As she walked down the hallway to where Cid had said the bathroom was, she took in the ship's appearance. It really was a sturdy looking ship. Not at all what she had expected from all the details Cid had told her in the past about building Gummi. She also knew they could take a bit of damage. 'Good,' she thought. 'Cid's a troublemaker,' she closed her eyes and giggled to herself.

Reopening her eyes as she finished her self-humoring, she could see the room that contained the toilet. The shower area was separate. A smart move on Cid's part. It'd be a pain with five people wanting to use the toilet and shower if they were in one room. 

As she came to the lavatory's entrance, she could see quite clearly that no one was occupying it. 'He's not here.' She was somewhat puzzled as to why he wasn't. 'He couldn't have been truly upset by it, could he?' The thought that Cloud was actually offended bothered her. He wasn't _that_ serious as to be upset by a little friendly teasing. If he had become so hardened, then she would have some work to do. 'No, that can't be it. He's probably just taking some time to collect himself,' she reassured herself. 'Now, where would he go to recuperate?'

Doing the next most logical thing, Aeris continued down the corridor, watching for any clue that might tell her where he had gotten to. As she passed each room, she ducked her head into the doorways, checking for her mysterious Cloud. Coming to the end of the hall, she stared at the last door on the right. 'Well, he's gotta be here.' Going into the room, she found Cloud sitting thoughtfully on the couch, facing away from the door. 

She approached the back of the couch and leaned over it, placing her head beside where his would be if he were to sit back. "What you thinking about?" 

He was resting his head on the tops of his hands, cupped and reclining on elbows propped against his knees. When Aeris had spoken, he'd shifted his eyes to the side to view his visitor. Seeing it was her, he sat back and gave a very faint smile, the left corner of his mouth barely lifting. "Nothing much," was his curt reply. He always felt sick when he lied to her, even with one as tiny as that had been. In truth, he had been thinking about his…_condition_ and how best to present it to her. He was so afraid of rejection. She had cocked her head slightly, and Cloud feared that she knew of his fib, and that his fear was visible in his eyes. Sure, he was good at hiding his emotions and he knew it. He'd had to learn if he'd wanted to survive. But she could read him in a way that no one else could. It was both comforting and unnerving. 

Trying to ease his face into a relaxed expression, he inquired, "And what are you up to?" His smile became a little more genuine as her face brightened and she smiled at him. 

Leaning her arms on the back of the couch, she started to sway slightly as she answered him. "Nothing much," she smiled and Cloud's smile grew as he nodded in irony of her reply. "I was just looking for you." 

At that, Cloud turned to sit sideways on the couch and leaned in towards her, putting his left elbow besides hers. "Oh?" he teased. Nonchalantly, he used his first two fingers to caress the back of her upper arm, his eyes following their movements. It was hard to miss the hundreds of goosebumps that sprang forth, and Aeris was doing her best to appear unaffected by him. But it was so hard to keep that up; it felt so nice. "Did you miss me that much?" he finished. At her insolent expression, a quiet and small laugh came from him as he shook his head. "You're full of it today, aren't you?" 

"What!?," was her stunned reply. She looked at Cloud with wide eyes and mouth slightly agape. "I just started being like this," she said as she wrinkled her nose and turned her head away from him. "All day, geez," she huffed. "And being apart from you for ten minutes is hardly enough to make me miss you so much," she punctuated by turning her head quickly to stick her tongue out then back again. 

Cloud was still running his fingers over her arm. "Oh, come on," he said, his fingers squeezing her arm slightly and smiling as her head jerked back to him. "That's better," he beamed, his eyes sparkling. 'This'll be fun,' he thought.

Cloud focused his eyes on the doorway, his face dropping to a neutral expression. He kept that pose until Aeris's curiosity won her over, which didn't take long. She had been watching his face, and as soon as she had begun to turn to see what had captured Cloud's attention, she felt herself falling over the couch.

When he saw and felt her start to move, Cloud's hand had rocketed around her tiny arm and solidly pulled her to him. He had brought his other arm up and wrapped it around her shoulders to soften her landing. Cloud waited for her to get over her surprise and orient herself, his right arm still around her shoulders and under her while his left hand laid top her abdomen. And he just stared at her in that position for a short while, his left hand coming up to caress her cheek slowly. He was aware of Aeris watching him as his eyes took in her face and hair as he moved to play with the little curl that was just above her ear. 

"So," he started again, "why did you come looking for me? Really." And his eyes shifted to look into hers as she voiced her reply. 'Such a pretty green,' was his simplistic thought.

Aeris had taken this opportunity to observe Cloud in his unguarded state, once she had gotten over the surprise of this uncharacteristic turn. 'He's been very unpredictable since their reuniting,' she pondered, but was brought out from her musings when he asked something of her. "Oh," she said. "Cid had sent me to come find you." At this, Cloud nodded. "We're ready to take off. He was just waiting for you to come back so we could all strap in for takeoff," she clarified.

Cloud's mouth took on an amused shape. "So it's Cid bothering me once more," he smiled. "Well," he began, deviousness springing to his features, "let him wait." And with that said, he once again cupped her cheek and leaned forward to meet her, but was halted in his progress by a strong pull at his neck. Annoyed, but the event not spoiling his mood, he quickly removed his hand from her face and pulled upwards on his cape a bit, removing it from underneath him just enough so that he could complete his action. Finished, he resumed his prior position and finally took her lips in a short, soft kiss. Pulling back to sit once more on the couch, he removed his right arm from underneath her, using that hand to stroke the top of her head.

Looking and feeling much more content than she had planned, Aeris watched Cloud from her relaxed spot. Being true to her inquisitive nature, she confronted Cloud. "Why don't you just take that off? It only seems to get in your way here." Her eyebrows had drawn together partially, illustrating her puzzlement. And the sad and frightened look that came to Cloud's features puzzled her further. 

He shook his head ever so slightly and gave a small sigh. "Not now," he spoke softly. "Later." And Aeris just gave a patient nod and returned to being motionless in his lap. 'Let's not ruin this wonderful feeling by bringing up my physical transformations,' he thought solemnly. 'I'm enjoying this.' And he went back to the comfort of her hair.

Despite his efforts to not let it disrupt his mood, that inevitable question was pulling on him, and its weight eventually got to be too much. Swallowing, he said, "C'mon, I think we've made him wait long enough." And with a final stroke of her hair, Cloud helped Aeris up, his arm once again around her shoulder as they made their way back to the cockpit to finally begin the journey home.

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I know this was a long time in the making, but as I said earlier, this was meant to be a standalone fic. But I've set myself up a good little universe, and I think I'm going to exploit it fully. I have other ideas for the FF7 characters, which will perhaps come to life another time. If I ever get this one finished the way I want it, that is. Subsequent chapters will be posted…when I finish them. No time frame available. 

I know Squall is coming across pretty dark, but that's the way he is. Kingdom Hearts is a very dark game in reality. You just have to read into it. ^_^

Next time then.

Mandy138


	3. Changing

Alright, this next chapter is about developing the deepening relationship between the members onboard the Gummi, and of course, Cloud and Aeris in particular. I'm planning to reunite them with the rest of the party in the next chapter and at the latest, in chapter five if something else decides it has to come first.

Let the continuation begin.

Last Revised: 4/8/3004

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*** = Shift in PoV

' ' = Thoughts

" " = Dialogue

::: = Flashback

[ ] = Suggested Soundtrack

( ) = Disc – Track Number

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[Main Theme – Final Fantasy VII (2-01)]

The lift off had gone smoothly, and now they floated amongst a sea of stars. Cid had assured everyone he knew how to find their planet amid all the others and the endlessness of space. Cloud hoped he was right. For while he found the stars to be strangely soothing, he wanted to get back to _his_ place. But he would make the most of this journey. He had promised himself. 'I will get to know my comrades. I will take the time now, as I should have done back then,' he reaffirmed to himself as he stared through the doorway of the cockpit and out its viewport to the twinkling beyond. He was vaguely aware of Cid moving all about the control panel, making some last adjustments. 'I'm so tired,' Cloud thought. 'When was the last time I slept well? …Hmm, not for a long time,' he nodded to himself. 

Noticing his stirring, Aeris questioned, "What are you thinking about?"

"Huh?" was the immediate response as he was roused from his musings. Turning towards her, he answered somewhat distractedly, "Oh, nothing really. Just about the last several months."

"Nothing really? The last several months were _hardly_ nothing," Aeris responded disbelievingly. And if the couch had allowed it, her hands would have been on her hips.

Now fully attentive to her, Cloud replied, "I know. But it's in the past, not important now." His eyes were unexpectedly intense, and Aeris understood the unspoken plea: 'I don't want to think about it anymore.' So nodding with a gentle smile, she left it at that. 

Squall felt so out of place. All he did was observe from a distance and insert mental comments to himself on each occurrence. But he wasn't sure how to think of Cloud on that last comment. 'It's in the past…' Squall recalled. 'Hmpf. Does that mean you're weak for wanting to forget it, or strong for moving past it?' Often times Squall had wished he could move on after his past. 'It's so hard,' he thought as he closed his eyes. 'Especially after seeing loved ones taken right in front of you.' And Squall shuddered at the memory, quickly pushing it from his mind. Opening his eyes again to look at Cloud, he decided he was at once both strong and weak. Weak because he didn't want to face his past…but strong as well for being able to go forward with no regret. Squall begrudgingly acknowledged that Cloud was stronger than he in that arena, and wished he himself could posses that resolve. 

Releasing a sigh that grabbed the attention of the acceleration chamber's occupants, Cid turned around and announced that the danger had passed and that they were free to roam about the ship. In fact, he encouraged them to and even offered to give a tour, with a 'V' prominently displayed on his right hand and his face grinning ridiculously. Everyone politely declined, insisting on their own competence to find their way around. Cid's limp arms reached his knees in his disappointed sagging, which was not unexpected and unfounded. They all knew he was fond of his creations. Perhaps a little _too_ fond…

Cloud, for one, was growing increasingly exhausted and the need to sleep was becoming forefront. When no one got up right away, he took the initiative and stood to stretch for a brief moment. Bringing his arms down from their post above his head, he started to move around the couch to exit from the room, only to be halted by a strong tug on his cape. Cloud turned a bit hurriedly in what he hoped was a non-frantic way and relaxed when he saw it was just Yuffie's behind preventing him from travelling further. Smiling to himself at his needless worrying and the hilarity of the situation, he proceeded to free it. Grabbing the edge of his cape, he tugged with his left hand and cleared his throat.

The feeling of her bum being moved in such an insistent manner made Yuffie look at her seat to see just what the hell was causing it. Seeing the dark material of Cloud's cape, she followed it up to the hand that was causing the motion and then on to his face and ended when she made contact with his eyes. The wry expression on his face caused her to flush slightly. Giving a sheepish giggle, she lifted her right side and pulled the corner of his cape free, offering it to him. When the corner of his mouth lifted, Yuffie felt her flush increase to a full-fledged blush. 

Flustered, she asked him, "Why don't you just take that thing off?"

Cloud's face became speculative as he pulled his cape about him a little closer. After examining her question for hidden meanings and dismissing thoughts of it being anything deeper than what she'd asked, he answered her. "Later," he said, as his face remained passive. "I will later." And with that said, he retreated into his thoughts as he strode from the room, his destination unknown even to him, as his ever present cape floated behind him.

Still feeling flushed, Yuffie crossed her arms as she sat sulking in the couch's corner with a small 'hmmpf'. "Mouu!" she pouted. 'Why does he have to be so…ugh…moody and…hot.'

Aeris had been smiling up to the point when Yuffie had asked that of Cloud, and a small version of her previous one had returned when Yuffie had begun her pouting. But it faded from her face as she watched Cloud's cape trail from the room. 'Why don't you, indeed, Cloud?' she wondered. 'I'm sure we'll talk about it.' With herself comforted, Aeris gave Yuffie a pat on the knee and smiled at Cid and Squall on her way out of the acceleration chamber to talk with Cloud. 

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[Interrupted by Fireworks – Final Fantasy VII (3-16)]

He had found his way to the viewing chamber again, and he stood in front of the large viewing portal with his arms across his chest. It was too appealing, and he couldn't resist its draw. 'I always have been attracted to the night sky,' he recalled. 'Even in a foreign galaxy, their beauty never pales for me,' he marveled at this universe's stars. His reveling was interrupted by a quiet intrusion, not totally unwelcome when he saw whom it was. And half-turning to face her, he smiled gently, assuring her it was okay to approach him. And she came to him with hands clasped in front, stopping when she came even with him and smiling up at him before gazing out the window. Still smiling, Cloud returned to the stars. 

And they enjoyed the silence for a time before Aeris shifted and quietly cleared her throat in preparation to speak. She bowed her head momentarily before voicing her questions, her ribbon bobbing with her motion. Still facing forward, she began with her most troubling thought. "Are you really alright, Cloud?"

Sighing as he heard the question, Cloud bowed his head as well, eyes closing in weariness. He could sense her worry grow as she feared she may have probed too deeply. Wanting to ease her fear, he spoke. "I wish I could say 'yes, I'm fine'. But I don't know anymore, Aeris." Opening his eyes, he took the conversation on a path that he knew would extend it into many hours. The stars were so beautiful. He hoped their beauty would not be lost on him when he was no longer human… And more than that, he hoped the day would never come when he wasn't able to gaze at their light and not appreciate it, not be taken over by their ravishing light. Looking directly at her now, he continued on knowing that he couldn't take it back. "I'm _changing_, Aeris. And I fear I will lose myself."

'His eyes are so beautiful. If you _are_ changing Cloud, I hope you never lose that magnificent hue.' Shaking her head at herself, she decided that wasn't like her at all. So she moved to address the issue he had brought up and broke his arms apart to take hold of his hands. "What do you mean you're changing?" Shaking her head and smiling at him once again, she continued, "I'm sure you'll always keep your sense of reality about you." 

By the smile on her face, he knew she didn't understand the gravity of what he was saying. And he knew his thoughts had been transferred to his face by her reaction. Aeris's demeanor changed immediately when she saw his expression fall severely and she gasped at this unexpected reaction. 'He looks like he's going to cry!' His face had jumped into that horribly sad expression only found on those with true heartbreak.

And he did indeed feel like crying. He felt so alone, unsure of what was happening. He had never really known who he was after escaping from Hojo. But he had created a new identity during his travels, and he'd be damned if he were to lose this one as well. 'I've never understood Vincent,' he mentally winced. 'But I want to talk to him more than anything right now. I know the pain he feels…' But he knew that wasn't yet possible, and he let that wish go…for the time being. Calming down, he forced himself into composure and straightened before Aeris, mentally preparing himself.

Giving her hands a gentle squeeze, he said, "I'm tired." And he gave her what he knew was a weak smile. He _wanted_ her to know something was wrong. He _wanted_ her to question him, to keep him from locking this issue away again. And with that pathetic smile on his face, he slowly released his fingers from her and began to exit the room. 

Seeing what he was doing, Aeris grew unexplainably upset. "Cloud, no!" He had stopped at her exclamation, but remained facing the doorway to the hall, waiting for her to fulfill his hopes. "No! You're are _not_ going to drop this. Not now!" she huffed, as she marched over to him, ready to drill him. 'This is too important to let slide any longer. Don't you see? It's hurting you too much!' Upon her stating she would not let him get away with it, relief filled him. And when Aeris reached up to his shoulder to pull him to face her, Cloud's sadly smiling face made her breath halt. 'Cloud…what is _wrong_ with you?'

Aeris took moment herself to gather her thoughts, taking a deep breath as she did so. Putting her hand up to his cheek, she spoke, "Cloud, now you really have me worried. Please, I can see how much this is hurting you. Let's talk about it _now_." 

Her soothing stroking halted when he placed his hand over hers and held onto it, that smile still on his face, but no longer sad. "That was my intention all along," he said with a sad hue to his eyes. "I was just leading you to a more secluded area, hence my 'tired' comment." The hand holding hers slid down to his chest as he moved his free one up to caress her cheek. "The bed chamber will offer the level of privacy I require." Looking in her eyes, he took her in. 'I hope I won't lose you after this, Aeris. For while my desire to always be with you will exist as long as I do, I can only hope you will still want me after tonight.' His admiring completed, he led her to the bed. Drawing the curtains behind them, he turned to face her in a truly terrifying revelation for him and reached his hand up to the clasp of his cape.

**********************

Yuffie was growing tired of pouting since Cloud's departure some time ago. Strangely enough, Cid was still in his stupor. Surely the rejection couldn't have hurt _that_ much. 'Hmmpf, he must be getting old.' She brought it down to that. Getting up, she went over to him and proceeded to poke at his closest arm. 'Flabby. Yep, definitely getting old.' Smiling wickedly to herself, she brought her other hand up to join in the poking. Aloud, she said, "Hey, Cid. I'm bored. Entertain me." She knew better than to bother Squall with her antics. He was often unreceptive and she got the feeling that all she did was annoy him. She liked him well enough and he was fun to fight with, but he wasn't very open. Not with her anyway. Aeris was another story. Yuffie would love to be closer to Squall, but she knew the polite relationship's sterility was in no fault of her own.

Still bent over in disappointment, Cid mumbled, "What, you mean like a tour or something?"

And Yuffie being in an oblivious state, agreed before registering what he'd said. "Yeah, sure, anything. As long as I can move around." And before she could even register his movement, Cid had cinched her wrist in his hand too tightly for her to break away from.

"Yeah haw! C'mon, I'mma show you what my newest baby's all about!" he exclaimed as he dragged her down the hallway and pointed out every little bolt and screw along the way. "This is gonna be _great_! Pay attention," he glared at her, "you might learn something. 'Bout time we filled that empty head of yours with something useful." Yuffie regretted even disturbing him out of his funk. The 'tour' commenced as Cid skipped around like a happy five-year-old with a lollipop and Yuffie donned a drooping face. Her only solace was that Squall had decided to tag along.

'At least he'll be some eye candy for me,' she brightened.

**********************

[To Zanarkand – Final Fantasy X (1 - 02)]

Cloud's hand paused in its action as he sighed. Did he really want to do this? Sure she deserved to know, and she would eventually find out. Hell, she would definitely see it after they got married, if not before then. It did blend in with his clothes when he wasn't wearing the cape and many people missed it completely until he was seen from a side view, unless he was using it in such an obvious manner like gliding. But he intended to be disrobed quite often and it's kind of hard to hide a black wing against pale ass skin. 

Halting his thoughts, he turned to Aeris, his hand dropping to his side. "When we were talking about my changing, I…" 'Damn, how do I put this into words?' The eloquent speech he had never prepared was failing him now. 'Shit, just say it,' he pushed himself on with a shake of the head. "I don't want to lose you, Aeris. But this is something you should know. I wanted you to have a chance to decide. So you could back out if you wanted to." And with his sad blue eyes glowing in the relative darkness of the chamber, he reached an arm up, his hand going just passed her left ear as he turned the lights of the bed room on. 'No good if she can't see it,' he berated himself.

Stepping back again, he returned to his collarbone. The practiced fingers of his right hand quickly undoing the left clasp first, then the right. And he kept his eyes on her the whole time as he presented himself to her, reading her reaction through her face. The feeling of the cape sliding down his back and calves felt so good that he had to fight the want to close his eyes. After it had hit the floor, he refocused on Aeris. Her face was still locked in confusion. So to remedy that, he flexed, making it rise above his head. He knew when she saw it, for despite all her good intentions, she could not keep her initial reactions hidden. Her eyes widened and her hand flew up to her mouth at her gasp of shock.

"Now you see what I mean," he began. "I am changing, and I hate it." The utter revulsion in his voice was a thing often missing from his speech. Only when he had talked of Sephiroth did such a tone come into it. "I think it's the Jenova cells in me. It's taken a number of years, but they're finally starting to manifest themselves in troubling ways. I can only wonder how long it will take until I advance to Vincent's level."

"Oh, Cloud," she said, moving forward to embrace him. "You were worried I'd leave you over a simple thing like that?" She couldn't help smiling into his chest at his foolishness. "I thought you would've known me better than that."

Cloud had not returned her embrace. He was trying to keep from getting more attached, if that was possible. He had asked her to marry him, after all. But he wanted to keep the pain from being any worse than it had to be. Knowing she couldn't see it but nodding anyway, he said, "I've been rejected for less." 

Looking briefly up at him after that response, she muttered, "Oh, Cloud," and nuzzled into him again, squeezing harder until he finally relented and hugged her back. "I agreed to marry you. I wouldn't have done so if such a trivial thing would change my mind." And feeling his nod, she pulled back from him slightly. "Now then, do you suppose I could take a closer look at it?"

Puzzled by her request, Cloud could only nod dumbly at her. "Why…do you want to do that?" he asked as he stepped back from her and began to lift his shirt off. He had freed his left arm first so he could gingerly work the cloth around the wing. 

[Ending Theme & Suteki Da Ne (Orchestral Vrs.) – Final Fantasy X (4 - 19)&(4-21)]

Aeris answered his question, stating that perhaps she would be able to purge it if had indeed been caused by Jenova cells. Remaining skeptical, Cloud continued to remove his shirt. And Aeris watched in fascination of the command he had over its movements as he folded the wing to reduce the surface area that had to pass through the material. 'He's had it for quite some time if he can move it the way he wants to so effortlessly.' He had to bend over slightly in order to work the wing free, and as that was taking a little longer than she thought it would, she began to examine his newly exposed skin. 'He's…pretty built. I always knew his arms were buff from swinging that big sword of his, but I didn't think the rest of him was!' His abdominal muscles were particularly prominent in his bent over position and the current focal point for her gaze. His straightening broke her from her trance, but not as quickly as she would have liked. She just _knew_ he had seen her staring…

Which he confirmed when he asked of her, "You alright? You're a little red there." And nodding abashedly, she went up to him and poked him to turn around. He did so with a little knowing smile on his face.

"Yes, I'm fine," she punctuated with another poke to his lower back. "I just didn't think anything besides your arms would be so…_defined_," she said as she began to look closer at his new appendage. She could see him turn his head at that last remark and smile over his shoulder. She was secretly pleased to know that she could affect Cloud as effectively as he did her. His clenching of the shirt in his hand when she had touched him did not go unnoticed. Trying hard to block him out, she peered closely at where the wing adjoined to his shoulder blade. 'The muscles are so hard here, too,' she thought as she felt around the joining. 'And different. Hmm,' she speculated to herself, 'Jenova's cells must have initiated the growing of the muscles necessary to carry out the wing's full potential. That must be why the extra muscle mass is here.' 

Holding her hand against the wing, she listened to the alien cells. At first they cried out in alarm as they recognized her Cetra heritage. They knew their destroyer. But after a bit of non-action on her part, they quieted down and she was able to hear their history. And they had mostly confirmed her theory. But more importantly, she found they had merged with Cloud's cells on an extremely deep level. It was impossible to purge them from him. Even as she observed them, they anchored themselves further into tissues with some of the earliest threads already bonding to his backbone and ribs. But the most frightening thing was the _excitement_ the cells were emitting. Straining to understand what it meant, she touched her forehead to the wing. But their murmuring was unintelligible and she was unable to determine what had them so hyped up. Knowing she could do no more, Aeris pulled back, but continued to examine him. Running her hand across his shoulder blade and tracing the buried threads, she felt along the backbone where they had joined and secured their survival. 'Hmm. If only they hadn't anchored here, I might have been able to remove them,' was her frustrated thought. It was too dangerous to mess with that. So many sensitive parts involved. 

Aeris let her hand continue on its course across the width of his shoulders, her motive purely self-pleasuring now. She was aware of the further tightening of his muscles and clenching of his shirt. He had even turned his head towards his right shoulder enough that she could see his closed eyes over it. Looking back to her hand as it trailed further, she noticed a red and somewhat raw spot on that shoulder blade. Running her fingers in short back and forward motions over it, she voiced to Cloud, "There's a red spot here."

Hearing the puzzlement in her voice, Cloud opened his eyes and peered over his shoulder at the spot she was indicating. "It's probably just from my scabbard," he said, allaying her concern as he turned to face forward again. "I had to have a new one made that would accommodate my wing, and that sore is probably just from it rubbing against my skin." 

Aeris nodded at his reasoning. 'It makes sense, having to adjust to new equipment. I know it sometimes took me awhile back when were all traveled together.' Mellowing, Aeris's hand flattened against that spot and her action caused Cloud to once again turn his head to look at her. "I'm sorry, Cloud. There's nothing I can do." And when she saw and felt him slump at her report, she couldn't help but feel that she had let him down.

Her news had been expected, but it had still been disappointing. Shaking his head at her, he said, "It's ok. I knew you wouldn't be able to do anything, anyway." Aeris put her left arm around him as her right slid up to the top of his shoulder. Throwing his shirt on the bed with a sideways toss of his arm, his now freed right hand came up to clasp hers atop his shoulder as his left arm blanketed hers around his waist in an attempt to comfort her. "Don't worry, Aeris. I didn't expect you to be able to do a thing. It was just foolish hoping on my part. I guess a bigger part of me than I realized hoped you would be able to perform a miracle." And with that said, he turned to press his lips into their grasping hands.

Pressing herself farther into him, she said, "Me, too, Cloud. Me, too."

**********************

Yuffie wasn't all that bored, really. It was kinda neat to see what Cid had done with all those little, itty, bitty parts he was fussing over. She had to admit she was impressed, the hell if she would tell him that though. Squall was even showing interest. 'Well, interest for him, anyway,' she amended. The only way he really expressed his interest was by looking around and actually paying attention. 'Eh,' she sighed to herself, 'I'll enjoy myself.'

Cid had showed them every room so far. There was even a second level in the ship! She hadn't known that. But it was mostly occupied by the engines, weapons, and shield generators. There was also a large storage area. Cid had said that he knew he wanted one, but didn't know what specific purpose to design it for. So he had left it mostly open with a large loading door off to the side. He had commented that he wanted to make sure he could haul chocobo in it. And it was definitely large enough for that. It looked to her as if he had even included a rack and pen area where hay could be kept. 

Yuffie had never been extremely fond of chocobo, but she did miss Cloud's greatly. He had a way with those animals. With the creatures brought up, Yuffie reflected back to their travels, and more specifically to a time when Cloud had been interacting with one of his more favored chocobo. 

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[Crying in Sorrow - Final Fantasy IV Piano Collection (1-01)]

They were all outside the Nibel area, on their way back to see if they could find any more information in the library that would help them stop Sephiroth. Aeris wasn't…with them anymore. Her death had been a few months ago, but it was still very fresh in all their minds. Cloud had always been the most distant from the group, but now he was even more so. When they camped for the night, he spent most of his time outside of it, sitting by himself and often staring into the sky. It's like Aeris was his tie to their group, and with her gone, so was his excuse for interacting. Yuffie wasn't sure how that made Tifa feel, but she knew that it had to have hurt her. Tifa really liked Cloud, of that Yuffie was pretty sure. But she had never seen her go up and try to comfort Cloud after he had brushed her off the last few times. It's like she was giving up on him. Shaking her head, Yuffie got up from her place beside the fire. When Cid and Barret questioned her of her destination, she made a comment along the lines of it being none of their business. They probably thought she was gonna walk off with their materia again. 'Geez,' she thought, 'if I was gonna do that, I would've done it _long_ ago. I've had more than enough opportunities. Besides, I wouldn't have stuck around with you for so long if that had been my plan. Unfortunately,' she sighed while shaking her head slightly, 'you guys have grown on me.' And so double-checking that her Conformer was equipped, in case of any trouble on her way, she left the safety of camp, off to check up on Cloud.

There was a mist surrounding the area. And she remembered Tifa saying that Nibelheim always had a blanket of it at night. Was part of living in the mountains, she'd said. Yuffie liked it. It added a mysterious air about the place, a quality she had always attributed to Cloud. And as she overcame this last hill and he came into sight, she couldn't have imagined it any other way. He was wearing his cloak, they all had one, for it was quite cold up north. His hood was down and folded on his back, and she could see the handle on Ultima Weapon protruding from underneath the right shoulder of his cloak. As a result, his cloak was askew and she could see the skin of his arm. It looked uncomfortable, but it didn't seem to bother Cloud. 

He was holding the reigns in his right hand while the left was stroking Seraph along the beak. She wasn't surprised to find him with her. He had been spending lots of time with the chocobo since she had hatched. She knew Cloud loved it, and that was made so obvious by all the attention he gave it. But what Yuffie found amazing was that all of his chocobo seemed to feel the same about him. They would do certain actions that left no doubt they adored him. And to prove her right, Seraph had rubbed her beak into Cloud's hand, then pushed it out of the way to nuzzle his neck. The smile that came to his face at that had such wonderfully gentling effects on his features that Yuffie would've believed he was at total peace if she had been a stranger. But she knew that for him it was only a momentary rest. What Cloud did next made her stop in her tracks. After he had removed Seraph's beak from his neck, he had laid his forehead against her head, and the hand with the reigns came up to stroke the soft plumage along the length of her neck. He never so openly displayed affection. 

'Yep,' she thought, ' he's got a way with those shitters.'

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

While she had been remembering, the tour had ended. And Cid had chosen the sleeping chambers as a finishing point. 'Was he trying to make a not so subtle suggestion?' she thought sarcastically. But then she almost took that thought back. It had been a _very_ long day, and so exciting. It had worn her out. 'It does sound good, actually. Well, maybe I will take a nap.' Figuring the one with the open curtain was free and she suspected that Cloud or Aeris, maybe both, were in the other one, she opted for this one and moved toward it. Noticing Squall hide his yawn, she suddenly remembered Cid saying there were only _two_ beds. 'Holy Da Chao!' she exclaimed. 'Am I gonna have to share a bed with _him_!?!?' She was so red, she could _feel_ it. 'Guess I'll have to be extra careful and not drool on him.' And with a red face and sleepy head, she crawled into bed and leaving the curtain open to tell him she would share the bunk, she settled down for sleep.

**********************

And so ends chapter three. The next chapter for sure will be more angsty as Squall and Cloud spend more time together and new developments arise from Cloud.

Updates and revisions always a possibility. 

Ciao

Mandy138


	4. A Small Respite

Alright, here's the next chapter, and the promised angst is gonna have to wait 'til the next chapter because this one is so long already. It has been such a long time since anything was posted. That's partly because I am so busy with school and mostly because I didn't know how to go about doing this next part. I wanted to show how much Cloud really wanted Aeris and how insecure he is about her feelings for him. I'm am also attempting to shed light on how Squall developed feelings for her. Bringing out their vying for Aeris has presented somewhat of a problem. I know how I want the first few encounters to happen, but setting the scenarios up believably is taking a little more time. Those may get pushed back into the next two chapters, which I hate to do. But I want this to be smooth and very true to the characters' personalities. 

Lastly, keep in mind that the suggested soundtrack is chosen for overall sound and not always the lyrics. Recommended tracks add such depth of emotions audibly that writing alone can't do. =) And if you need the mp3s, email me and we can arrange how to send them. Or go to #alphaanime @ irc.aniverse.com and msg Mandy138Cool.

Oh, and one last thought: DIE R/S fics DIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIE!!!! I do not believe yaoi belongs in Kingdom Hearts. It just doesn't FIT! It's sick! Now, it can be gotten away with in Final Fantasy VII, however…

Revised: 4/8/2004

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*** = Shift in PoV

' ' = Thoughts

" " = Dialogue

::: = Flashback

[ ] = Suggested Soundtrack

( ) = Disc – Track Number

[ -- ] = No Music, Silence

**********************

[Descendant of the Shinobi - Final Fantasy VII (3-04)]

Yuffie had been lying in the bed for a few minutes, waiting for Squall to lay down as well. And as they passed, she waited a little more, thinking that maybe he was just getting ready for bed. And as _those_ minutes stretched out into a full half an hour, she sat up and huffed at what was taking him so long. She was getting too nervous wondering if he was gonna come or not. How was she supposed to sleep if she was _nervous_! 'A girl can't sleep not knowing if anyone's gonna enter her bedroom or not!' So going to see what the hold up was, Yuffie marched down the hall, upset at this delay in her rest. As she reached the acceleration room, her mouth fell open in disbelief. There Squall was, lying on the second couch, jacket still on and an arm over his eyes. Going to the end of the couch, Yuffie placed her fisted hands on her hips and stood there staring at him until he was bothered enough to open his eyes. It took a little longer than she expected to wait. She didn't give him enough credit. Of course, she should have expected this. He was very good at ignoring people. 

When he did open them, annoyance was written all over his face. 'Man,' she thought, 'it's almost as if he was expecting it to be me.' And smiling proudly at her reputation, Yuffie started off with a cocky air. "What are you doing?" she said as she slanted her head to the left a bit.

Frowning, Squall answered, "I _was_ sleeping. Or at least trying to."

"I know that. I meant why are you doing that here? I left the curtain open so you would know you can bunk with me." 

His frown turning less harsh, he excused, "I…don't want to intrude." 'I've apparently imposed quite a bit already,' he thought in reference to Aeris. 'Yet, even though I _know_ I'm doing so, I don't _want_ to stop it from going farther.'

"Silly, Squall! Oops! I'm sorry! I know you like Leon," she said with her hands at her mouth. 

Sitting up and shaking his head, he assured her, "No, it's alright. My wish of restoring the worlds was fulfilled, so I will return to being Squall." And with that, he gave a small smile to her. 

Yuffie was stunned at first. He _never_ smiles. Just like Cloud never used to. He was getting better, though. It was good to see Squall smile. She had often wondered if he even knew how. "You silly boy. Of course you're not imposing. If I didn't want you to sleep with me-" she cut off, her face becoming seriously red. "No, no! I didn't mean it like that! You know what I meant!" And if she hadn't been so thoroughly embarrassed, she would've been shocked out of her thoughts as Squall emitted the tiniest of chuckles. "Anyway," she continued after the redness lessened somewhat, "you're welcome to share a bed—er, bunk with me." Convinced he would think she was an attracted teen, she flew down the hall, back to her bunk. 'Great, now it'll be even longer before I can fall asleep,' she thought as she lay down once again. She had just closed her eyes when she felt a shadow fall over her. Opening them again, she was surprised with the sight of Squall, looking rather bashful at that. 

"Uh, I thought I would take you up on your offer," he said haltingly while looking away. 

'Heh,' Yuffie thought, 'he's nervous, too!' Playing innocent, she asked, "Why's that?"

"Well, um, the bed uh, sounds more comfortable than the couch," he replied while looking everywhere around her without making actual eye contact. 

Patting the mattress next to her, she said, "Sure, c'mon. Although, I tend to drool." And with a funny look from Squall at that comment, he sat on the bed and cautiously stretched out. 

'_GREAT! _Just _GREAT!_ Now I'll _never_ get to sleep. For _sure_!' And Yuffie attempted to calm her rapidly beating heart into a sleepable rhythm.

**********************

[The Flow of Life – Final Fantasy VII (3-02)]

They had both been absorbed in each other, but Yuffie's very audible voice brought them back to the ship. Cloud kept his embrace of Aeris intact while he turned his head in Yuffie's direction. The addition of Squall's voice caused Cloud's eyes to narrow involuntarily as he felt Aeris pull back slightly. The cool air that seeped in to replace her warmth made him shiver and he was struck with insecurity. 'Would she leave me for him?' Even though she had stated not twenty minutes ago that such a small thing wouldn't cause her to desert him, he couldn't help but wonder if Leon was one of those 'small' things or not. He knew nothing of the time he was away from her, and even less about what happened between her and other persons. …He didn't like Leon. He reminded him of…himself. And if Leon was another Cloud, he could easily steal Aeris from him. That was not a thought he wanted to dwell on. 

So Cloud squeezed the hand she had about his waist to make her refocus on him, an admittedly selfish action. But he didn't want her attention to be on Leon. Anything else was fine, just not _him_. After completing those lines of thought, he was startled by how jealous that sounded. And when Aeris did turn to face him again with her hair sweeping his back, that dirty feeling came upon him once more, and he looked down in self-disgust. 

Bringing her right hand from his shoulder to stroke the hair at the back of his neck, she asked, "What's the matter?" 

He shook his head slightly. Her motions felt so good, too good. And as she hugged against him again and called his name, it became too much. 'Please, Aeris! Don't taint yourself with me.' As his silent plea finished, he broke gently away from her and placed his right ear against the bedchamber's curtain, under the pretense of spying on the opposite chamber. His senses had been enhanced severely, among other things, due to the many experiments he'd undergone, and he could hear their words quite clearly from where he had been standing earlier. In truth, he could actually hear some of Cid's words from the cabin. Not clear all the time because of the muting effect the metal had, but most of his words, which reached his ears as whispers. 

Puzzled at first, then smiling warily, Aeris copied Cloud's actions, only putting her left ear against the curtain so she could watch him as she did. Curious about his actions as well as what was going on across the hall, she said, "I didn't know you were into gossiping, Cloud."

Looking her in the eye, he said, "I'm not." His thoughts continued on that brief answer, 'but I couldn't stand to be so close for a moment longer when my intentions were so… self-centered. Even though all I really wanted to do was grab you close and never let go. Never let him look at you again.' He closed his eyes and pretended to concentrate on Yuffie and Leon's conversation. 

Aeris had seemed to be genuinely enjoying this little stunt, and that was made evident by her intermittent comments. Specifically about how red Yuffie must be and how she could _feel_ the young girl's embarrassment. But his eyes only reopened after they had silenced for some time across the hall, and locked them with Aeris's gaze. 'I can't help but feel he's trying to take you from me.' 

The excitement and mischief on her face was unmistakable. He would know that look. It'd been directed towards him more than a few times in the past. But her next statement made a panicked wave surge through him. Giggling, she said, "I'm gonna go see what they're doing!" 

With his resolve hardening, he straightened as Aeris turned away from him and began to peel the curtain back. He stepped toward her, his right arm moving forward to wrap around her waist and pulling her flush against him. His movements were swift and sure, and left no doubt behind the intention of his actions. Cloud's dance had thrown her off balance both physically and mentally and she had to stabilize herself by placing her hands against him. The feel of her skin once more against his made Cloud heady with desire and his eyes narrowed and breathing shallowed as a result. Her tentative question in the form of his whispered name only served to further the spread of sexual tension. Nuzzling his head into the side of hers, he inhaled her scent and thought to himself, 'I've become possessive.' Moving his lips to just in front of her ear, he kissed the soft skin there slowly. 'So be it. If that's what it takes…' He continued down the side of her neck, the tip of his tongue occasionally escaping the barrier of his lips. The hands she had positioned against him for support were now clawing into his chest as she unconsciously turned her head to allow more access. His actions were causing her to become weaker and soon it was he who was supporting her. His left hand had come up to the base of her head as he moved along the offered skin, and he had responded to her sinking body by pulling her tightly against him with his right arm while pushing up into her with his own body. Absorbed as he was in his ministrations, he still noticed the rapid increments in her breathing as her proximity allowed him to feel every shaky in- and exhalation she completed. Moving his left hand so that his thumb could caress her cheek, he positioned his head so he could look her straight on. His eyes maintained their target for a whole two seconds before being distracted by her parted and heavily exhaling lips. His thumb stroked her cheek absently and he moved his mouth onto hers and utterly took it over, completing his earlier mental statement, 'If that's what it takes…to make you mine.' And he would've smiled as she put her arms around his neck if he hadn't been so drunk on her. 

Briefly rubbing his forehead against hers after breaking the kiss after more than a while, he buried his head into the crook of her neck and tried to calm himself. 'If I don't stop now, I'll take her tonight whether I wanted to or not,' he conversed with himself as he forced his breathing to slow. And as they both continued to cool down, he couldn't stop the thought from forming. 'But maybe that wouldn't be such a bad thing,' he mused darkly. 'If _he_ could hear the way I make you scream, then he would know he has no chance.'

Shaking his head slightly at that thought, he berated himself. 'No. For the right reasons, at the right time,' he thought. And as Aeris must have thought he was nuzzling her neck, she moaned softly, which only served to quicken his heart again and promised to bring him back to the high he had just brought himself down from. Returning to his previous thoughts, he added, 'Or maybe the time and place is now. It will be if we don't stop!' And before he could think twice on it, he pulled quickly away from her, severing all contact. Not wishing to let this progress any further, he had to watch her fall to the floor. It was the hardest thing he's had to do since reuniting with her. But if he had eased her down, he knew he would've cradled her against him. And that would _not_ ease this tension. So he lifted his left hand to his face while turning to look at the bed. He ran it up and across his brow, only to bring it down to cover his mouth as he exhaled into it for a few moments, then once again running up to pass through his hair and falling to his side. 

Aeris had collapsed on the floor with her legs under her, head bent over hands propped on the floor, heaving away. Cloud turned to look at her, 'Just to make sure she's okay,' he told himself. Her hair was veiling her face, and all he could see were her parted lips. Viewing the rest of her, he couldn't see any injuries. And as he came to her exposed legs, he quickly turned away, his back facing her this time. Then he made his way to the bed and sat heavily upon it, his elbows coming to sit on his knees and his head falling into his hands. When his head had become moderately clear, the thought that came to him was very sheepish in his opinion. 'That was a little more intense than I had intended.' His slid his head in his hands, his mouth being cupped by them, as he peered at her again and the vision she created. He had noticed at some time or another, he couldn't remember quite when, that her outfit was different. Not drastically so, but the cute little coat top was gone, and her dress was worn in a more open manner. Specifically, less was buttoned, only to her mid-thigh. Everything below that was unfastened. He supposed it was for greater agility, but it had the added effect of more skin, too. Her entire outfit had that effect. No top cover, just the thin straps to hold her dress up. 'It would be so easy to push off the shoulder…' Grunting to himself at the never-ceasing train of thought, he fell back on the mattress, left arm coming up to lay across his eyes and to further prevent any peeking. He had to readjust himself to let his wing hang out over the side. They both stayed in their separate spaces cooling down for some time. Cloud hadn't known how much time had passed, but when he heard Aeris finally approach him and placed her left hand on his chest, he knew it hadn't been long enough for him. But nevertheless, his own hand came up to enfold hers as he removed the arm from his eyes to look at her, joining it to his other to cover her hand with the both of his. 

She brought her other hand up and used it to stroke his brow, the hair soft between her fingers. Enjoying the silence, she broke it with a small question. "Why did you stop?" He grimaced and looked away from her to the wall, but she continued to stroke his forehead. "I'm not upset with you, I…just want to know why. I guess I'm just confused, Cloud." She flushed as she continued. "I was enjoying it, if you couldn't tell."

Sighing and turning to look at her, he squeezed her hand gently. "I know you were. It's just, that if I didn't stop it there, it would have gone farther than I intended it to too soon." Cloud looked away briefly to collect his thoughts, returning his gaze to hers when he had thought his next few words through. "I wanted to continue, more than anything, Aeris. But I wanted it to be for the right reasons, and not those I had when I initiated those series of actions," he finished as he once again looked away in shame.

"What reasons are you talking about?" She was puzzled and had no idea what he was saying. And her confusion only increased when Cloud remained silent and looking away from her. But regardless of her puzzlement, she continued to stroke his brow, letting his hair repeatedly fall on her fingers so she could comb through it again. "That's not really important, is it? Your reasons?" she said with slightly raised eyebrows. "As long as I reciprocate, that's all that's important, right?" she finished with a small smile.

Sighing, Cloud could only give in to her logic. 'Perhaps later, I'll have the strength to tell you of my selfish intentions.' And turning to her, he said aloud with a genuine, small smile, "Yes, it's alright as long as you return it." 

And as he finished, Aeris moved her hand down to the side of his face to pat his cheek once before hugging him. "See, now?" she said. "That's all that matters." 

She was so close he couldn't help but embrace her in return. And when she sighed and snuggled into his shoulder, he leaned his head against hers, and said, "It has been a long day. And I'm sure if we could see _a_ sun in a sky it would be set. So let's go to sleep." And he tightened his embrace and pulled her up onto the bed, rolling her over him to rest between him and the wall. Turning to face her, his left hand came up to push some hair off her cheek, caressing it. Pulling her into him and resting his head atop hers, he whispered, "Good night, Aeris."

Snuggling deeper into him, she sighed, "Good night, Cloud." Smiling at her response, Cloud pushed the annoying itch on his shoulder aside and entered rest with Aeris. The last day had been rough, and it wasn't long before welcome sleep claimed the two. 

**********************

[--]

By the time Yuffie had awoken, Squall had long since departed. This was deduced by the fact that his side of the bed was cool. Not smelling any food, she knew Aeris wasn't awake yet. Aeris had always cooked their breakfast, back home and at Traverse Town, too, so Yuffie just assumed she'd do so here as well. In no hurry to make her own food, she took her time getting up, stretching leisurely and taking up the whole bed. Finding her way to the bathroom, she performed her regular grooming duties after her quick shower. She preferred them in the evening, but having been too tired last night, had taken it this morning. The feeling of grime had been too strong to put it off until later. 

Sighing at how wonderful she now felt, she skipped up the hall in search of peoples. "Hello, peoples!" she sung brightly. "Where are you, my fellow peoples?" Sliding through the cabin doorway, her smile grew as Squall and Cid came into view. They had been conversing, but what about, she didn't care. Her smile fell half way as she looked at Cid's face and noticed its haggard appearance. "Cid," she started, "were you up all night?" 

Snorting at the question, he replied, "Well, of _course_ I've been up all night. Someone had to stay up to make sure we didn't crash inta anything." And crossing his arms, he turned to look out at the view port, attempting to look quite ticked off, but Yuffie knew better. And he knew she did. But it was habit with her. Just like he always acted a certain way towards Cloud and Aeris. And he had special mannerisms for each Avalanche member. Although since finding Aeris again, he had become much gentler with her. He often thought it was because of how much he'd missed her, and that he was afraid she'd be torn away again. She had always been the group's peacekeeper. And while Tifa had tried whole-heartedly, it was just so natural coming from Aeris. He would never say it to them, hell no, that would make him look weak. And especially not in front of Yuffie. But they all had a special place in him, and he'd do anything he could to help them out. 'Aw, shit. I've grown too damned attached to the lot of them. Damned friendly bastards…making me like them.' And sighing again, he was interrupted by Yuffie.

"Well, then," she started out, "why don't you go get some sleep now? Squall and I are here to take care of things. And Cloud and Aeris, too." Looking around, she asked, "Hey, where are those two anyway? They can't sleep in past me! I deserve it the most. I'm still growing!" she finished with a nod and hands on hips.

Huffing, Cid spoke while Squall looked down at his feet, "Probably still sleeping. I haven't seen nor heard nor smelled either of them." And seeing the funny look that crossed both Yuffie's and Squall's faces, he said a little indignantly, "What?"

"Smelled?" Yuffie said simply.

"Yeah, you know. That good shit Aeris always has going so early in the damned morning. Downright pleasant to wake up to." And seeing the understanding cross their features, he nodded, "That's right. Think I'm crazy, do ya?" Shaking his head, he answered Yuffie's long forgotten question. "And _hell no_, I wouldn't trust my baby--my second baby--to you, you little derelict hell zone! We'd wake up in the after life with our remains engine-taped together!" Sighing, he continued, "I'd rather spiky ass watch it for a bit. He may not be so mechanically inclined as I am, but he's damned dependable in a crisis."

Squall looked up at that comment. True, he didn't know Cloud personally, but he somehow knew the other man to be an established fighter. And with all the comments being made about him being good at fighting, Squall often wondered what his level of skill was compared to the other man. 'But I can see him being dependable in emergencies,' Squall thought. 'His appearance screams experience.' 

**********************

[Before Dawn – .hack SIGN OST 1 (1-11)]

Cloud exhaled gently so as not to disturb his bedmate. He had been awake for quite sometime, but couldn't bring himself to tear away from Aeris. So he just watched her as she slept, her beautiful face, arms, hands, everything about her. Her beauty was that and so much more, and ran deeper than what could be seen with the eyes. Removing his left arm from her waist, he brought his hand to push some hair from her face, the fingers tracing the length of her cheek. 'Oh, Aeris,' he thought, overcome with emotion and bringing their foreheads together, 'how is it that someone as disordered as I can feel this deeply for you? And even more perplexing, how is it that you could feel the same towards a person so screwed up as me?' After kissing the tip of her nose softly, he once again returned to observing her in blissful silence, arm settling in the valley between her hips and ribs. 

It hadn't been long enough for him when his enjoyment was shattered by the return of the painful itch on his shoulder. Shifting carefully so as not to jostle Aeris, he pulled the arm from her waist to reach back and take care of the annoyance. He reflected unto himself while scratching, 'I think it's worse than last night.' And when the irritation did not abate after more than twenty seconds of furious scratching, Cloud sat up, easing off the bed. "Damnit," he whispered quietly, still scratching. 'I better go look at it. It _is_ getting worse,' he continued internally.

Sighing in disdain, he padded over to the curtain, drawing it back and stepping out into the hall. When the cool hall air hit his chest, he realized with a start what had almost just happened, and quickly reversed his movement, whipping the curtain closed again. "Shit," he said under his breath. "That was close." Turning around, he searched for his shirt. Walking over to where his sock stuffed boots had spent the night, he peered for the pile that he hoped was around there. Not seeing it, he scanned the floor with his eyes, coming up with nothing but the crumpled heap of his cape. 'Is it under there?' he wondered making his way over to it. His hope was deflated as the shirt wasn't under the cape upon lifting it up, and further flattened when shaking the hanging material ceased to produce the desired fabric. 

Dropping the cape, he placed his hands on his hip. "Where the hell is it?" he asked of no one. "Let's see. What did I do with it last night when I took…it…off...Oh, shit, don't tell me it's there." Looking up to the area of his foreboding, his eyes fell closed as they came across the wayward shirt. 'It just had to be there.' Hand coming up to his mouth as he thought of how to free it, the circumstances of it arriving there came to him. 'That's right,' he remembered, 'I had thrown it there after showing her my disfigurement.' Moving closer to the bed as his hand became momentarily occupied with scratching, he pondered how he was going to remove it from under her legs without her waking. Watching her face, he placed one hand on the shirt and the other on her leg, lifting only as much as was needed to free the shirt. He pulled it free slowly, not wishing to attempt an extremely quick tug. He sucked in his breath as she stirred slightly and released it as she turned over. It wasn't bad if she awoke, but he would feel guilty if he knew he caused her to.

[Fear - .hack SIGN OST 1(1-09)]

Pulling back, he shook the shirt out, frowning at the more persistent wrinkles. Pushing that out of his mind, he quickly slipped the shirt on, intending to check out his shoulder before the itching drove him mad. Pushing his wing through its hole had been the decided plan, since keeping it 'hidden' under the shirt would make a large lump, and therefore more suspicious. Poking his head outside the curtain, he scanned for possible trouble. 'No one. Good, I should be able to make it to the bathroom with out incident.' Slipping from behind the thin barrier, Cloud hugged the black wing tightly to his back, knowing it would be difficult to see against the dark material of his shirt. It was still visible yes, but you had to be looking for it directly. He walked briskly down the hall. Mostly to avoid an encounter, but the coldness of the metal against his bare feet also hastened his trip. 

He slipped through the doorway to the bathroom and shut the door. Turning to gaze into the mirror, his face darkened as the unnatural glow of his eyes stared back. 'Even if she never says it, I know I'm a monster. It's only recently that it's been starting to physically show itself. Soon, she won't be able to deny the truth.' And smiling bitterly at the old argument, Cloud placed his back in view of the mirror, half facing it while he pulled up the right edge of the shirt. What he saw was nothing like he had expected. "By Holy," he exclaimed quietly. His lips formed into a stern line as his mind raced. 'I didn't think it was this bad.' Wanting to see it in more light, he once again removed his shirt and reaching over his shoulder, used the fingers of his left hand to pull and poke the skin, examining the trouble spot. Scoffing at his own thought, he said, "Trouble spot my ass." 'I think this is something serious. It's…swollen. No forming callus should be that bad.' "Shit, is that pus?" And wanting to know for sure, he switched his hand to come around from under the shoulder so he could feel the area in question. And as his fingertips brushed the surface, he recoiled, the contact having provoked the intense onset of burning pain. 'What could be causing it? This is definitely not from my scabbard.' Still hunched over, he continued to think as he waited for the pain to ease. 'What could this mean? The last time I felt pain like this was---!'

[Aura - .hack SIGN OST 1(1-10)]

Righting himself suddenly through the thick haze of agony, he looked at his reflection, the discomfort still visible in his eyes and face as it competed with shock moving in. 'No,' he said mentally. 'No. It can't be. No…' Shaking his head in denial, he continued that one word in a mantra that he foolishly hoped would keep his fear from becoming reality. It came to a point where he began to mutter it out loud, hugging himself and shaking his head slowly back and forth, refusing with everything he was that this wasn't happening. "No! Not again!" he protested hoarsely. His legs giving out beneath him, he stumbled backwards until his back hit the wall, crying out in pain as the inflamed shoulder blade came into hard contact with the unforgiving surface. The initial pain had been great, but eased quickly as he slid down the wall. 'Strange. Is the coolness of the metal soothing the ache?' His arms now loosely clasped about his waist tightened as he felt something _wet_ on his back. Immediately looking over his shoulder at the feeling, he became disgusted and horrified at the sight. 'It burst! No wonder it felt better…But it hasn't lost any in size, only pressure.' Hanging his head momentarily before moving to clean up the mess, he thought, 'At least I'll be symmetrical again.'

The feeling of bodily fluids on him did _nothing_ to add to his comfort. Wanting it off him as soon as possible, he decided now was as good a time as ever to shower. 'Perhaps the hot water will ward the pain for a time.' And with that minor hope running through his head, he turned the water knobs on. Looking once more into the mirror, he wondered how long he would see himself as he was now. Dismissing it as being overly pessimistic, for he knew he was changing and nothing could be done about it, he approached the shower again. Making sure there were towels before it was too late, Cloud let his pants drop to the floor, and easily slipped out of his under-shorts. He stepped into the warm spray of water while an involuntary sigh of pleasure escaped him. And sliding the door shut, he gave lazy thanks about not having to get out to urinate before his mind became numb to all but the balmy presence of water.

**********************

[Prelude – Final Fantasy X (1-03)]

Yuffie had decided, well, her stomach really, that Aeris needed to get up because she wouldn't trust herself or the other two to cook anything. Cloud was a very good cook, actually. She would settle for him no problem. She would just have to see which one was more willing to make her something. That's fine if the other two wanted to eat as well, but she won't tell them there's food ready. 

And she still hadn't made up her mind when she reached the room Cloud and Aeris had used last night. Seeing that the curtain was still pulled closed, she hesitated upon opening it. What if they were still asleep? Or worse, what if they weren't dressed!? 'Oh, wait,' Yuffie thought. 'I wouldn't mind seeing Cloud in the buff,' she giggled. 'Well, maybe not _all_ of him. It'd be little much to see _that_!' Pausing to calm herself, she peeked through the small opening she had made and was surprised to see Aeris sleeping alone. Pulling the curtain back a little farther just to make sure Cloud wasn't out of sight, she slipped in and walked up to the bed. Yuffie sobered unexpectedly at the vision Aeris made with her hair fanned out on the bed. Everyone could see why Cloud chose her. She was so pretty. 'I hope I can be that pretty someday… Or at least have someone who makes me feel that way.' Mentally shoving the thoughts away, she kneeled on the floor and gently put her hand on Aeris's shoulder, shaking lightly.

Aeris turned her head towards the motion sleepily and slowly opened her eyes, surprised to find Yuffie there instead of Cloud. "Yuffie?" she questioned. "What is it?" And sitting up with slight alarm, she worriedly voiced her new thoughts. "Did something happen to Cloud?"

Smiling, Yuffie said, "Nah, I just wanted you to make breakfast for me. I don't know about Cloud for sure. Haven't seen him yet this morning, afternoon, whatever! But knowing him, he's probably alright." Looking at her with what she hoped was a winning smile, she asked, "So what d'ya say? Make me something?"

Laughing at her tricks, Aeris couldn't let Yuffie get by without being teased. "What is this world coming to when a sixteen year old can't cook for herself?" Folding her hands in her lap, she condoned. "I'll make you something. I suppose the others haven't eaten either," she concluded aloud. "Alright, just give me a few minutes to prepare myself." After Yuffie nodded eagerly and zipped out the door, Aeris looked down at the mattress with a sigh as she placed a hand on his side. 'He couldn't have been gone long. This spot is just the slightest bit warm. Or is it from me stretching out?' Pushing the matter aside, she stood and began to make her way to the bathroom. And as she turned the last corner before the lavatory and bathroom, she barely dodged Yuffie in flight from down the hall. Shaking her head and wondering what it was Yuffie had been clutching so tightly in her arms, she continued down the hall. Stopping outside the bathroom at the sound of running water, she smiled as she figured that was where Cloud must be. Putting that off until later, she went across the hall to the lavatory to take care of what she could. 

**********************

[Descendent of the Shinobi – Final Fantasy VII (3-04)]

Yuffie hurried away from the room as quickly as her feet could carry her, seeking the relative safety of her temporary room. Aeris had been a close call, and only her ninja training had saved her. After that close encounter, Yuffie had hastened her pace and raised her guard until she reached her destination. Rushing to the bed, she quickly stuffed the contents of her arms under the pillows. 'I got you now, Cloud! Ahahhahahhahahahahaha!' Recovering from her moment of triumph, Yuffie made one last check to make sure nothing looked amiss. It wouldn't do to have her found out before her fun was completed. And with another evil laugh barely contained, Yuffie sauntered out into the hall, pausing momentarily as she decided which way she wanted to go. Opting first for the cockpit, she started that way. Poking her head through the door, she saw that Cid alone was seated in front of the command panel. 'He must be making sure everything is okay before handing it over to Cloud. Paranoid bastard,' she commented to herself. Just as she was about to turn and head the other way, she saw Cid's head nod and then immediately right itself, and repeat the process again. 'Hah! He's trying not to fall asleep. Old man can't make it through the day without a nap,' she teased him mentally. Yeah, she knew he hadn't slept yet, but she owed him so many paybacks. 'One day, smoky. One day,' she threatened in her head. 'I'll get you as good as I'm about to get Cloud.' And laughing to herself once again, she went to join up with Aeris…and hopefully her breakfast as well.

Halfway to her destination, the smell of food reached her nose, and she was unable to resist the urge to run the rest of the way. Flying around the corner, she plunked herself in a spot that allowed her to watch Aeris finish the preparation. Thankfully, Aeris finished only a few moments after her arrival. Setting the plate in front of her, Aeris sat down with her own after calling up the hall that the food was done. Like Yuffie was gonna wait for them to drag their slow asses down here and proceeded to glow as she happily ate. Her blissful savoring was momentarily interrupted as something came thundering down the hall. Moving her eyes to the door, she was surprised to see Cid come flying around the corner. Stopping to quickly take in the situation, Cid sat down at one of the extra plates laid out on the table, not hesitating to begin. Upon seeing the mouth-watering, precious _food_, Cid mumbled something like "oh, good, my favorite" and didn't speak again until he was done. And only then with a small "damn that was good". Yuffie returned to the coveting of her food. 

She wasn't sure exactly when Squall had entered, he was so quiet, unlike the old fart over there whose joints needed work, but she was aware of the small shy smile he gave Aeris when he sat down next to her. Her chewing slowed as she thought, 'Now that I think about it, he's been avoiding Aeris and acting a little different. Could it be he's afraid of Cloud?' 

Further pondering on this subject ceased with the halt of her chewing and all eyes at the table turning towards her as her name echoed quite loudly down the hall. 'Uh oh,' she thought as her eating utensils dropped to the table-top, 'he figured it out! Damn, he's quick!' Looking up at the collective in front of her with a blush spreading across her cheeks, Yuffie smiled sheepishly and waved before getting up and darting into the hall. 

The first few moments after Yuffie's departure consisted of everyone looking at each other with perplexed expressions. But that was soon ended as Cloud's voice rang down the hall once more with Yuffie's name being heralded, a more than slightly pissed tinge to it. It was very clear she had not gone to set things right. Playing the peacemaker once again, Aeris silently excused herself and went to see what Yuffie was being accused of this time. 

Walking toward the sound of Cloud's ever increasingly loud voice, she found him sticking his head out through the door and looking the opposite way, presumably where Yuffie had ran past. "Cloud," she voiced, "what are you doing?" 

Turning at her voice, Cloud's pissed expression eased a bit. "That little shit stole my clothes _and_ the towels! I saw her closing the door but I didn't think anything of it. Damnit! I should've known she'd done something!" Looking in the last direction she had gone, he sighed and said under his breath, "Now what am I gonna do? She even took my underwear."

Looking down while thinking and stifling her laughter, she asked haltingly, "And there's nothing that you could use until you get back to the room?" And as he shook his head solemnly, Aeris spoke up, "Well, lemme go check across the hall and see if there's anything in the lavatory you could use." Going to check, Cloud sunk back into the relative safety of the bathroom. Aeris didn't take long and returned to the door, handing the towel through it to him, snickering. And hearing his disgusted huff, she couldn't hold the laughter in. 

Cloud looked through the crack at her with a mix of disgust and hurt on his face. "I'm supposed to use _this_!? It'll barely cover the essentials!" Covering her mouth with her hand, all Aeris could do was laugh. Scowling, Cloud pulled the hand towel as tight as he could stand, making sure it covered both ends. Looking in the mirror, his entire left hip was visible between the ends of the towel. 'Shit,' he thought. "Well," he said to her again, "guess I'll be running. No one's out there, right?" And as Aeris checked both directions and shook her head, Cloud nodded. "Alright," he began, peeking for himself. 'It's only a couple of meters. Hope I can make it.' 

Aeris ran ahead to the room and held the curtain, ready to close it as soon as he entered. And as she waved, Cloud sprinted. It was all going really good…until he met the adjoinment of the two bedrooms and Yuffie's small form. '_Shit_!' he thought. 'Everything just went to hell.' Good thing he'd been holding that towel with a death-grip, otherwise it would have been a much more embarrassing situation. But doing a cursory visual check to make sure nothing was showing and that Yuffie was okay, he noticed her eyes were a little on the too big side, and her cheeks were lacking any telltale blush, which could mean only one thing. 'Oh, shit. Oh, _shit_. _Oh, shit_!' Quickly pushing himself up, he wrapped his free arm around her and drug her into his room, the curtain immediately falling closed behind them.

Looking up at Aeris, he sighed aloud and said, "Almost uneventful." He collapsed against the wall, still holding Yuffie to him, as he caught his breath. "Now, missy," he addressed Yuffie, "about my clothes."

Shaken from her stupor, Yuffie opened her mouth and took a deep breath, ready to spew all the thoughts that had just grown in her mind. Feeling her inhale deeply against him, Cloud's right hand quickly placed itself over her mouth. "C'mon. My _clothes_!" And when Yuffie shook her head no and looked up and the curtain track, Cloud eased his hand from her mouth. He knew what she wanted. 

And as soon as it was gone and a good distance from her mouth, Yuffie didn't hesitate to talk. She smiled as she noticed Cloud kept a good hold around her waist. He knew she was likely to bolt and blackmail him, and she had to say, she wouldn't put it past herself. It proved for such amusing situations. 'Like this,' she thought. 'Only there's such a serious side to this prank I didn't expect.' Crossing her arms and closing her eyes while tilting her head, she said, "I have questions I want answered. And what makes you think it was me that took your clothes?"

Smiling, Cloud said, "Who said anything about my clothes being taken?" 

Yuffie spluttered, knowing he had gotten her, but refusing to give in anyway. "Well, with you wearing that little towel—oh, nice chunk of hip showing, by the way–what else is one to assume?" 

Blushing furiously at her inserted comment, Cloud reassured himself it was still there by gripping the corners even tighter in his hand. "Perhaps they had made my clothes unwearable. Didn't think of that, did you? Nice try, Yuffie, but it's not going to get you free." 

"But my questions!" she whined.

Cloud shook his head and said, "No clothes, no answers." This was a challenge he knew she would be unable to resist. Being a shinobi, it was in her blood to know everything that was going on. She'd die before passing up an opportunity for information. The tiny smirk grew with every squirming motion Yuffie made as she thought. It wouldn't be long now, he knew. Her restlessness was increasing and she kept bouncing, trying to fight it. 'She'll cave any second now.' 

And milliseconds after completing the thought, she threw up her hands and said, "All right! All right! They're under my pillow." That said, she crossed her arms again and sunk against Cloud, pouting, his arm still restraining her. 

Making eye contact with Aeris, Cloud nodded once to her, and she went across the hall to fetch them. Watching Aeris's skirt disappear between the frame and curtain, he slowly exhaled and released Yuffie. 

[Fake Wings - .hack SIGN OST 1(1-07)]

Yuffie jumped away and turned to face him, both of them sobering as she did. This was a serious topic, she knew. If she hadn't before, the set of Cloud's face shouted it at her. And he had been holding onto her rather tightly, beyond the level of play. He wanted to make _sure_ she wasn't going anywhere until he could secure secrecy from her. "It's real?" she asked.

His face becoming somewhat cross as he answered, "Of course it's real. Why wouldn't it be?" She shrugged lightly in response.

"Can I see?" 

"…I suppose." And he scowled at her turn gesture. What did she think, that he was some sort of model? Turning to face the wall, he readjusted his grip on the towel, jumping when he felt her fingers brush gently across the base of the wing. He hadn't expected her to touch it.

Yuffie was amazed. 'He wasn't lying. It really _is_ real!' "Ka_kkoiiiiii_!!!" she exclaimed aloud, making Cloud start again. "This is so wicked, Cloud! You were cool before, but this just magnifies your coolness a billion fold." She ran her fingertips up the wing a little ways before speaking again, this time, in a much more subdued tone, and Cloud tried not to shiver. "But, it hurts, doesn't it." At that, Cloud whipped around, looking at her with suspicious wonderment marking his features. "Not a mental pain, physically. And greatly…isn't that right?"

His brows drew together as he looked at her, his mouth suddenly dry. After a couple of false starts he finally got something out. "How do you know that?" he asked shaking his head. "Not even Aeris—"

He stopped as the curtain was moved aside and Aeris slipped through, clothes and towels in hand. She looked up and felt as if she had interrupted something, but that feeling fled as she saw their bodies relax. They had just thought she was someone else. 'Why should I feel as if I was intruding? Cloud and I are the ones that are together…' Shaking it off, she handed the bundle to Cloud, who gave her a small smile as he did his best to grab his pants and underwear single handedly. 

Seeing that Cloud now had to get dressed, Yuffie excused herself. "Well, I see you have something to take care of, so I'll just…get…going. Don't wanna see no one's property," she said, walking to the exit. 

Cloud looked at his right hand and back to Yuffie, approaching ever closer to the doorway. Dropping the fabric, he hauled Yuffie back by her shoulder and pushed her over by Aeris. "We're not finished yet," he warned, the narrowed eyes driving home his point. Gulping, Yuffie looked to Aeris who just smiled gently and patted her shoulder. Taking pleasure in this next movement, Cloud smiled somewhat evilly as he returned the signal for turning around. Aeris helped, or was it made sure, Yuffie turned with her to face the wall the bed was mounted on. Yuffie could only take about one minute of motionlessness and turned her head ever so slightly left, trying to see Cloud. Her eyes had just found his towel, now lying on the floor, before they saw stars, and lots of them. Flying her hands to the pain at the back of her head, Yuffie looked aside to Aeris, left eye closed and mouth hanging open. 'That hurt!' she mouthed. Aeris just shook an index finger at her and stuck her tongue out, mouthing back, 'No peeking,' before refocusing on the wall. Yuffie continued to rub her head for a few seconds, attempting to dispel the remaining pain. 

Cloud walked up to place the other articles on the bed, getting them off the floor and signaling that he was done. He turned his head to look at Yuffie and said in a quiet and serious tone, "Now, what am I gonna do with you?" 

Yuffie's face quickly shed the worried mask and asked hopefully, "Answer my questions?"

Cloud continued to watch her for a few more seconds before releasing a sigh and looking at the wall. "Should I?"

"Well, _yeah_!" she said. "You have to tell us, I mean the rest of us, _some_time. You can't hide it forever, Cloud." She looked at her hands as she paused. Thinking to what had transpired before Aeris had reentered, she said quietly, "It might do you some good to talk about it."

His eyes shifted to her as she finished, before looking down. "I was going tell you. You're right, I can't hide something like this for long. Which is why I was going to sit with everyone and talk, explain. This is… sooner than I planned," he finished with sagging shoulders. "But I will tell you now, Yuffie, trusting you'll keep it to yourself for a little while longer." He looked pointedly at her, and at her nod, proceeded to explain to her his thoughts on his transforming with inputs from Aeris every once in a while.

**********************

Alright, that got kinda long, I know. I originally wanted to include so much more in this chapter, but pushed it back to the next one because 17 pages is hard to spell check. Too many unrecognized names… Hmmm, can't think of anything else to say. So, until next chapter.

Mandy138


	5. Finally

Revised: 4/9/04

**********************

*** = Shift in PoV

' ' = Thoughts

" " = Dialogue

::: = Flashback

[ ] = Suggested Soundtrack

( ) = Disc – Track Number

[ -- ] = No Music, Silence

**********************

[Sadame (Destiny) Piano Version – X TV OST 1 (1-12)]

Yuffie departed the room autonomously, her head filled with the things Cloud had said. "Jenova," she mumbled to herself. Even in another world she continued to torture Cloud. 'That alien bitch, why won't she just die?' The thought was an old one, long forgotten since the supposed death of Jenova's main body in the Northern Crater. Closing her eyes and bringing her fists against her chest, Yuffie genuinely wished, 'Please be safe, Cloud.' And so, it was with a much more subdued manner that she returned to finish her breakfast.

**********************

Squall had remained seated at the table after Yuffie and Cid had both gone, waiting for Aeris to return. He had already finished, but he wanted to be alone with her, like it had been before that man had returned. That guy has been hanging around her non-stop since he arrived and Squall never had a chance to be with her anymore. Looking to the doorway at the sound of approaching footsteps, Squall was disappointed as Cid's head poked through it and not Aeris's as he had been hoping for.

"Hey, Leon," Cid started, "tell Cloud to come up to the cockpit when he's finished." And with that command, Cid headed back up that way.

Squall scowled deeply at that and played with a piece of silver ware. How was he supposed to talk to the man that took Aeris from him? True, it had never been assured that she was his, but the chance to prove that had been taken from him by the arrival of the very man Cid was asking him to _talk_ to. He knew the other man sensed something. A male could always tell when another was intruding upon his territory. And from the way Aeris and Cloud acted towards each other, their bond had been established long before he was on the scene. So did he ever really have chance from the start? The eating utensil became clenched in his hand. 'Damnit!' was his frustrated thought. 'I know it's not my place, but I want to fight for her. To see if maybe she returns these feelings. Perhaps his presence terrifies her so that she is afraid to speak against him…' Freeing the innocent utensil from his grasp, Squall resolved to ask Aeris how Cloud treated her, her feelings, and about many other things. But mostly that if she needed to escape, he would be there for her and help if she needed it. 

Upon the next set of footsteps, he was again disappointed to see it was only Yuffie. She quietly sat down and finished what was before her. Squall was extremely puzzled as to what could have taken place to dampen her demeanor in such a severe way. The girl was always quite chipper, except in dire circumstances, and something serious must have happened to make her act this way. He never got the nerve to ask her, as she wasn't seated at the table for more than two minutes before placing her dishware on the counter and leaving the dining area. Her uncharacteristic actions only made the frown deepen.

Only a few moments later, more footsteps came his way, and by the sound of it, it was more than one person. Squall could feel his throat tighten in anticipation of her, but his chest outdid his throat as they came around the corner. 'Of course,' he thought sarcastically as the hint of a bitter smile lifted the right corner of his lips. 'He had to come with her.' Not being able to stand being alone with them, he collected his dishes and placed them beside Yuffie's. And he kept his head down as he brushed past Cloud, out of his presence and their togetherness. Pausing at the doorway, Squall addressed Cloud without facing him. "Cid wants you to see him in the cockpit when you're finished." And as the curt and coldly given statement had taken too much strength from him, he continued on his way. The man was shorter than he was, but for some unfathomable reason, he intimidated him. He had all his plans set, but as soon as Cloud entered the room, his courage always deserted him. Why? He had felt Cloud's eyes on him from the moment he'd entered the room, and they had followed him as he'd gone past and exited. Clenching his hands as he went down the hall towards the cockpit, Squall cursed his weakness at being unable to converse even shortly with the other man. 'If I can't even relay a message,' he thought despairingly, 'how am I ever going to confront him?' And he continued to ponder on that thought in his adopted position on the second accelerator couch in the cabin.

**********************

[Kiss - .hack//SIGN OST I (1-03)]

Turning back from watching the other man depart, Cloud went to sit with Aeris, she finishing her breakfast, and he just beginning his. Cloud had said nothing about Squall's departure and was more than content to leave it alone, but Aeris brought it up with her next musing. 

"I wonder why he was acting like that. He's changed these last few days." Looking at Cloud thoughtfully, she asked, "What do you think, Cloud?" And smiling with closed eyes at him, she added, "You're both warrior men, do you know what it is?"

Oh, hell, he knew what it was. Or at least suspected strongly. But not wanting to think on it, he played ignorant and shrugged his shoulders, and after he finished chewing, swallowed. "I'm not sure," he said, pausing to stab at more food with his fork. "Could be a number of things." And leaving it at that, he continued to eat. He had expected Aeris to shrug it off as well, but the look she threw at him at his answer made the food stop in his throat. 'Does she know?' the worried thought came. Her eyes were narrowed and the one eyebrow was definitely in a 'pissed' position. 

"Cloud," she said with a stern timbre to her voice, "don't try to pass it off as nothing. I can tell something is wrong with him. Every time he's around you or you're mentioned, he becomes withdrawn." And fixing him with a firm set to her lips, she asked suspiciously, "Did you say something to him?"

Astonished, Cloud let the fork fall from his limp fingers and replied with his mouth slightly agape, "No. Why would I have?" His lips formed a firm line and he let his thoughts finish. 'I haven't had reason to yet. But if he keeps persisting, he'll get to hear _every_thing I'm thinking.'

Refocusing on the empty plate in front of her, Aeris said, "Because you have a way of speaking without thinking in stupid situations." Sighing, Aeris cleared her place and gathered the dishes to begin cleaning them. 

Cloud only looked at his remaining food before once again picking up his fork and finishing, a frown accompanying his thoughts. 'It's times like these when I wonder just how naïve she really is.' Grabbing his plate and fork to take over to her, he was once again halted as his cape became caught on something. "Oh, for Holy's sake," he muttered. Setting his things down, he reached up and released the cape, letting it fall where it would, and returned to his task. Reaching her side, he glanced at her through the corners of his eyes. She still looked pissed and the defense left his lips before he even noticed it was happening. "I didn't do anything," he whispered sulkingly.

Looking over at him, Aeris could see the sullen expression on his face, and smiled lightly. "I believe you, Cloud." She took the last few dishes from his hands and washed them. Setting the last one over to dry, she said while wiping her hands, "It's just that you can be so rash when it comes to me." And with that, she left the room, reminding him to go see Cid before she was gone. 

Cloud had only been able to stare at the counter. 'She definitely knows more than she lets on about. But how _much_ does she know?' Looking at the doorway, Cloud didn't think she knew exactly what was going on. She could tell something was creating this tension between him and Leon, and she suspects it has something to do with her. Or had to do with her. 'She thought I must have said something in the past to bring this about,' he remembered. 'I only met him a coupla days ago. The fight in the Coliseum was a one-time thing. And I was hardly interested in getting to know people who were just going to die in the next few minutes… But she believed me when I said I didn't do anything. So that means she doesn't truly know.' He nodded to himself once. 'That's fine, then. This is something to be resolved between Leon and myself, anyway.' Pushing away from the counter, he went to collect his cape. And reattaching it on his way out of the kitchen, Cloud concluded, 'This may be about her, but she should keep out of it.' The ludicrousness of that statement was lost on him as he went to meet with Cid.

**********************

[Broken Wings - .hack//SIGN OST2 (1-12)]

Cloud had taken over for Cid with understanding, and he'd noticed that Leon had departed from the room almost immediately after Cid had left. 'Probably upon realizing he would be alone with me.' It suited Cloud just fine. With all unknowing parties gone, he was free to remove his cape and relax. His feet were propped up on the pilot's chair as he reclined in the co-pilot's, fingers of his right hand grazing over the controls within reach, eyes on them but unfocussed. Cid had said this should be the only time he'd have to do this. He didn't mind, really. It gave him time to think. They'd be home in two more days. He closed his eyes and released a sigh. How good it would be. Pulled from his thoughts by an itch, he rubbed against the chair, trying to dispel the building of the irritation in his shoulder. This was becoming quite annoying. It would be soon, he knew. His right shoulder had been getting steadily worse during the course of the morning. It had been morning to _him_, as far as he was concerned. No one could tell without a sun in the sky. But the soreness was growing quickly and now even slight movements made it ache. It would almost be worth it just to have this over with so the damned itching would stop. He maintained his lonesome vigil undisturbed for quite some time after these last coherent thoughts, despite the beginnings of sweat upon his body.

**********************

[The Oath – Final Fantasy VIII: Fithos Lusec Wecos Vinosec (1-11)]

Squall had gone to the only other room in the ship where he was certain he wouldn't be disturbed in for a time, the viewing room. The swirling galaxies in the distance were strangely calming to his troubled person, and he felt as if he could be sucked into them, wishing he _would_ be. A brightly shining star off to the right caught his eye, and as he stared at it, Aeris's smiling face came unbidden to him. The star's intensity had reminded him of her eyes when she smiled. 'Their beauty is the same, but I can hold neither without risking my life.' If he were to go for the flaming star, his life would expire before he even reached it. And he had no doubt about it being in danger when he went after the other. Squall had seen Cloud fight a few times, and the man had killed for less at the Coliseum. He knew there would be a fight between them. But the question is who will be the one to die? Another is, is she worth it? As if he'd put so much at stake if she weren't, he snorted contemptuously. 

He knew not how long he had been brooding when he spotted her entering the room out of the corner of his eye. His features softened of their own accord, and his lips betrayed his stoic personification as they tilted up to greet her. He pulled his left leg off the couch so that she could sit beside him. She complied with a darling smile, but didn't sit as close as he would have wished for her to. But still close enough that if he wished it, he could let his fingers slide from the back of the couch to fall on her shoulders. He was sorely tempted to do just that, but knew it would only push her further away. He had to wait for the right time, and romantic timing wasn't something he's had a lot of experience with, or was particularly good at. He was reminded of a few occasions where Rinoa had teasingly scolded him for lacking any romantic sense…

He remained in his position, once again bringing his leg up onto the cushion to close the distance, half facing her, half facing the viewing port that extended along the entire length of the wall. She had gotten straight to her concerns and asked him if he was okay, commenting that he'd been distant lately. But he was surprised when she mentioned Cloud outright, asking if he'd said anything to him. Squall assured her he was fine, and said he was just feeling excluded from their group. Aeris, of course, thought that was ridiculous, and proceeded to tell him he would always be apart of their family. Smiling, Squall shook his head lightly, saying that he was still adjusting to the new boundaries. And sometime during her denial of new boundaries and her explanation of it, his wayward thoughts had led his hand to move across the small space between it and her dangling hair, so that the fingers could intertwine themselves in the tendril that bobbed alongside her face. It didn't seem to bother her as she kept on reasoning with him, and herself. 

"Aeris," he interrupted her as he watched his fingers in her hair, "I only meant it as getting used to the group again." And as he felt her puzzled eyes on him, he clarified and punctuated with a sigh. "You all act differently with him around. I----I just need to figure out where I stand," he finished with a sorrowful slant to his eyes. 

Aeris's lips thinned and she look to her hands clasped in her lap as she thought of how to explain their behavioral changes, small though they were. And the slight stressing on 'him' left no doubt as to whom Squall was referring. But then again, only one person had joined them in quite some time, Cloud. 

[Bittersweet Romance – Final Fantasy IX OST (4-17)]

"You see," she started out and Squall frowned at her saddened demeanor, "Cloud used to be the leader of our…pack." She made eye contact again before returning to her hands. "We always looked to him for direction. I guess it's just become second nature." She paused here, and Squall felt compelled to stay silent. "He's… He's…still that guiding force for us. I-I have no one else, outside of our group. And Cloud, too, is alone. There's Tifa, of course you don't know her, but…" she broke in to smile at him. "She and Cloud were from the same town. When I had first joined the group, they had been really close." Here she paused again, he couldn't say why. "But, something must have happened between them. I could tell when I watched them. They were never the same after he regained consciousness…" Squall's confusion stopped him right there and he sat up slightly to speak.

"Regained consciousness? Was he hurt?" he said, totally lost. "And what do you mean by watched them. You make it sound as if you weren't there." Her face contorted painfully and she jerked her head to the left. Squall's hand cupped her cheek as he murmured some heartfelt apology. And his thumb moved along her skin as she began to speak, but whatever it was he never got to hear it. 

"I…" she started meekly, but ceased and they both turned upon the sounds of heavy, labored breathing. There, in the doorway, was his rival, who currently looked like…well, choco shit. 

**********************

[Lose One's Illusions – Star Ocean OST (2-04)]

He had finished wiping his hand across his brow _again_. This sweating was getting ridiculous. And his head hurt. And his back, and his shoulder, even his feet. He caught his head from falling again, and rested it in his hand, trying to focus on the controls in front of him. 'Damn, it's hot in here,' he cursed mentally as he pulled at the collar of his shirt. His breath was coming in fast rasps now, and he was fighting for control over his eyes. 'I can't keep them open,' he thought sickeningly. Taking one last look at the controls and the stars beyond, Cloud stood up. And after only falling back into his chair once, approached the doorway to the acceleration chamber. He left his cape behind, in too much pain to give a shit now. It was hard to walk, something he had expected. Wobbling as best he could, he collided heavily with the wall of the cockpit and stopped solidly where he'd connected with the metal. His faced scrunched with pain and right hand flying to hold the screaming flesh of his left shoulder, continued down the hall. 'Aeris,' he thought, 'anyone, help.' 

He passed the sleeping compartments, checking to see if anyone was there. Both curtains were open. 'Cid…not here,' the thought fluttered across before pain once again raked over his body. Grimacing, he resumed his search, still holding his shoulder. He'd run into that frame hard. It would be a large, ugly bruise, he knew, because of the heightened senses of his body. _Every_thing was being magnified. The pain was building, and he slid along the wall as he moved down the hallway. His eyes had shut with pain, and his teeth were bared with the sudden rise of new pain. 'I can hear voices. Just a little farther,' he pushed himself. 

Cloud leaned heavily on the doorframe of the viewing room after crashing into it, attempting to stay standing. He didn't know how long he would be able to, breathing was hard enough. He saw them there on the couch, looking at him as he slumped there. Aeris, at first opened mouth after calling his name, in slight horror or concern, he couldn't tell, half rising to come to him. And that Leon guy too close to her. _Touching_ her, even, having the audacity to leave his hand on her in his presence. Cloud gathered all of his pain and focused it into a scathing glare directed at the other man. But he knew it wasn't nearly as effective as he had intended or would have liked it to be. For his teeth were still grit and bared with pain and he was unable to hold the expression for more than a few seconds before being overcome once more with the flaring of hurt forcing him to break eye contact. But he was pleased to see the other man remove his hand from her hair. And as if that was the barrier that kept her from further action, Aeris stood fully and began coming around the couch. Shifting his eyes to Aeris, he struggled to speak. "Aeris," he wheezed, "it's…beginning." Distantly and oh so quietly, the frantic call of his name and sound of hastened footsteps reached his ears before he hit the floor.

Aeris had managed to save Cloud's head from connecting with the metal flooring. She cradled it in her lap after awkwardly flipping him onto his back, stroking his hair and calling his name. Squall had shot up as the other man had collapsed. This was… unexpected. He froze, not knowing what do to, ensnared by indecision. He resented the other man, surely, but never did he wish death upon him. He came to kneel next to them, and turned to Aeris. "What should I do?" He knew better than to ask if he was all right. It had been clear from the moment he entered that he was indeed _not_ all right. 

Aeris's watery eyes met his, and she spoke with only a slight tremble to her voice, "We need to get him to a bed." And Squall nodded at her, eager to help her. But as he moved to lift Cloud, the frown he'd been withholding broke free. This was his enemy he was about to help. Sighing, he wormed his arms underneath the other man, positioning his legs to push up. It was a lot harder than he thought it would be. Cloud was by no means light. The flapping of Cloud's cape against his legs was quite annoying and Squall wished for it to be removed, which he made known to Aeris. It would even take some weight off his load, Squall knew. 

Aeris moved to do as Squall asked, stopping in mid reach to look up at Squall. "He's not wearing it," she said with a worried glance. Squall's eyes widened when he saw what was 'flapping' against his legs and his jaw slackened. Aeris looked away from him after a brief contact, hurrying him along. "I can explain, but later. We need to get him stabilized." 

He looked at her, his frown deepening just slightly, and nodded once. He followed Aeris out into the hall, mindful of Cloud's head upon exiting the room, lest he hit it. But he couldn't stop himself from thinking, 'I would almost enjoy that,' and he allowed his eyebrows to lift at the thought. He shook his head, clearing the malicious thoughts…for now. They would do him no good when his opponent was unable to joust in return. And that was what made the challenge worth it. To best the opposition and utterly humiliate him, in front of the girl, if possible. Further pondering on the characteristics of his preferred intellectual sparring was abruptly halted as an exclamation thundered across his awareness.

"HOLY SHIT!" Cid said, stunned as he stood in the hallway. He had just come out of the lavatory, still pretty sleepy-eyed, on his way back to bed. But the site of Cloud being cradled in Squall's arms was as good a wakeup call as anything else. "What the hell happened? Is he okay?" he asked hurriedly, checking his friend over. His eyes found the wing quickly enough, and his eyes narrowed in understanding. 'That's what the tablecloth was for.' He looked to Aeris, waiting for an answer, only to interrupt his own thoughts. "Wait just a damned minute," he began pulling back a step. "If he's here, who the fuck is watching the _ship_?" Seeing the other two trade questioning glances, he rushed up front with a quick 'ah, shit', leaving Aeris and Squall to immediately continue on.

[May It Be (Enya) – Lord of the Rings OST (CD Track Unknown)]

Squall had set Cloud down on their bunk and then had quickly backed away, giving Aeris room to do…whatever it was she was going to do. He stood off to the side, near the door, watching. What else could he do? 

Aeris knelt next to the bed, stroking his forehead. His brows had been drawn ever so slightly together in pain, unconsciousness giving him momentary reprieve. But as she studied his face, she could see that it was rapidly ceasing to be the case. His mouth tightened, and his eyes squinted. Soon enough, he was even exposing his teeth in a pain-laced grimace. The thrashing began quickly after. It had been small twists and turns at first, but he moved to arcing off the bed and Aeris didn't know what to do to ease his pain. Shoving the pillows aside, she sat at the head of the bed and asked Squall to help her flip him onto his stomach. Cloud's head was now laying aside on her right thigh, her hand combing his hair in an earnest attempt to soothe him if only the smallest amount. His head kept rubbing into her, seemingly trying to bury itself. His hands clutched at the sheets and mattress, at times pulling in synch with his moans. He was hunching his shoulders now, twisting as if trying to shed something. 'His shirt!' she thought. "Squall! Help me get his shirt off!" 

He had jumped at his name, but blanched at her request. 'Undress the bastard? Like hell!' But her next insistence quickly pushed the resistance from his mind and body. Moving over to her, he abided by her wish. He lifted the bottom, pulling it up as far as his wing. A frowned bloomed on his face as he struggled to get the wing through the hole in the material. It was quite difficult. Aeris was becoming exasperated and told him to hurry up. "I'm trying!" he whispered tersely. "It's not easy with him flexing it every which way." Aeris frowned and reached out with her left hand, her right still in Cloud's hair, and grabbed his wing, pushing down on its top until it compacted against his back. Then giving Squall a look released it after he had cleared the wing. What greeted their sight was a nasty, oozing, hellishly red blister on Cloud's right shoulder blade. They both had to look away, the sight utterly revolting. Cloud suddenly shoved his head to the side, freeing his mouth, and her attention was immediately drawn back to his suffering. If she'd had the time, she was sure she could count every single muscle in his upper back, he was straining so hard. His hands were white, all the blood practically driven out of them by the intensity of his squeezing as his back expanded and the most horrible sound filled the too small room and barreled down the hallway in both directions. Aeris bent over, lips pressing against his burning forehead, quieting murmurings of 'shh' flowed over her lips. And the tears fell as she closed her eyes, his next scream drowning her out.

Yuffie had come bolting down the hall, swinging through the doorway just ahead of Cid. Both looking beyond frightened and lost, but it was Cid who gained his mouth first. "What the _fuck_ was that?" Aeris opened her mouth and eyes, the tears still in them, and began to answer, but Cloud answered for himself with another scream, seemingly louder than the other two. Aeris's face swiftly contorted with pain, and she buried her face into his hair, returning to her futile attempts to help him. She knew there really was nothing else to be done but wait it out. But she had to keep trying. She had to. She couldn't just sit by and watch him writhe in pain. 

Yuffie's hands had covered her mouth at the site. The horror of the situation bombarding her senses and memories. The new scream tearing through the image of Cloud's peaceful face as he groomed a chocobo. The next one shattering his beautiful eyes as she remembered his peaceful reflection at some lost moment. She couldn't take this! This wasn't her Cloud! It wasn't! She shook her head violently, her little balled fists vainly trying to block out his tattered voice as it shredded the air and her depiction of him. She darted from the room, as far from it as she could get, half-missing Squall in her haste.

By the time Squall had steadied himself, he could no longer hear her pounding footsteps. But then again, he wasn't sure if that was because of her distance or the male banshee across the room from him. He was useless here, he knew that. And even when he was needed, he found it hard to help. It was _Cloud_. Not one of the other crewmembers, and that made it all the harder. Sighing, he decided he may as well be of help where he could be, and set off in search of the terrified girl. At least, he thought she was terrified. 

It took him only a matter of minutes to locate her. And perhaps that was because once he started in the right direction, he could hear her sobs. He felt his heart catch at that, she was genuinely disturbed by this. Truly, it was painful for Cloud. He could see that much. He slid down the ladder and slowly walked in the direction of the sounds. He found her in a trench of crates, huddled over, hands still pressed harshly over her ears. The tears flowing freely from her eyes and running down the curves of her cheeks, kissing the corners of her mouth as they fell to the floor, joining predecessors in a puddle of liquid emotion. She jumped at his voice and hand, but couldn't bring herself to stop hiccuping enough to even stutter. "So here you are," he said gently, hand closing more firmly over her shoulder. "It's alright, you know. He'll be alright." He exhaled sharply, taking a step back as she forcefully shook his hand from her.

"No it's _not_!" she exclaimed. "No it's not," she said again, softly. Pausing to let a small hiccuping spell pass, she wrapped her arms around her and continued. "This isn't like him at all." Sniffling, she sunk down, pulling her knees up against her arms but refusing to release herself from the self-hug as she leaned against the crates. "He-he never shows his pain. Never like this." And here, Squall could see her tighten her arms. "I—I can't stand to see him like that. To _hear_ him. He's always so in control and it makes me sick to—to think of what—what could be causing him to lose himself!" Any further insight into the little shinobi was ended as she was once again taken by sobbing. 

Squall sobered greatly, this new insight birthing slight turmoil in his being as he began to realize just _how_ out of character this was for the other man. 'It is a great power, indeed, if it's something to unsettle them all.' He had been looking over a shoulder in thought, but rounded again at her next sob and hiccup. Features softening, he reached out to Yuffie, pulling her into an awkward embrace. "It'll be okay, Yuffie. Doesn't it always turn out that way?" He wasn't really expecting a response, but nonetheless, she nodded against him and further startled him by clinging to him, crying away. Squall brought one hand up to lightly cradle her head against his shoulder, letting her vent, and sank as gently as he could against the crates, intent on being some kind of help. 

Time passed uncounted by either of them, and Yuffie had calmed to only sniffles and the occasional hiccup. They could still hear his screams, however. There was no truly escaping it, but it was dulled considerably down here. Yuffie had managed to ask Squall how he'd found her through stuttered speech. He had given her a small, teasing smile and said gently, "You were echoing up through the stairwell." She only nodded mutely, and continued to cling to him, taking refuge in his presence. But the quiet reprieve was shattered as the current scream stopped. Suddenly, in mid cry. Their eyes shot towards the stairwell then to each other, before jumping up and racing up the ladder back towards Cloud and the now too quiet ship.

**********************

Cid had run several checks on the ship, the system, everything he could think of. Out of habit or just trying to drown Cloud out, he didn't care. It occupied him. Rationally, he knew some tests had to be run because he didn't know how long Cloud had been away from the console. Cid sighed, filled with sadness. He couldn't blame him. Maybe his old self, before he became attached to the group, before…everything, would have no trouble faulting the kid. But the Cid sitting here now couldn't. He had long lost that high level of cynicism, no longer jaded by fate. This group had given him the very dream Shinra had robbed him of. And he thought that perhaps that was when he started becoming a little less cynical, a little more understanding, and dare Shera find out, a little more loving, towards himself and others. 'What the fuck is this?' he thought sarcastically. 'Poetry of the Soul club? Bah!' He gazed out the viewport and made the decision to orbit that planet over there, the closest, for a while, just until things calmed down a bit. He was so glad he had done that guy a favor back in Traverse Town. Who knew he was from a displaced race that traveled the stars? In return for his kindness, they had granted Cid all the information about the stars' placements. Something he'd thought useless until the doors had been closed. But now he was hella glad to have it.

He sat back in his chair after having completed the orbiting requirements, thinking. It was only when his thoughts became too clear did he pause and look up, trying to place the oddity. 'Cloud,' his mind warned. Cid bolted from the chamber to their room, skidding to a stop as his hands caught the doorframe. "Holy fucking mother of Shinra." The exclamation was uttered just under a normal speaking tone but not quite a whisper. His eyes were wide, mouth agape. It was only a few seconds after that when Yuffie's small body collided with him and squeezed under his arm and over his leg, edging into the room. He registered her horrified gasp and flight of her hands to her more-than-likely gaping mouth as well. Even Squall's gasping was noted in his distant mind. Aeris's eyes were the widest he'd ever seen them, and her small lips parted. Even she was taken in by the horror. The thought was clear on everyone's faces. So…much…blood. Cid looked to Cloud's face, slack with true unconsciousness. His head was still pillowed on Aeris's lap, and his right arm had fallen to rest over the edge of the bed, fingers lightly curled only spaces above the floor. 'Yeah, I'd wanna pass out too if that much blood came outta me.' And the cause of it all rested against his draping arm, the newly released blood riveting down the tip, continuing along the arm to drip off the fingers. Cid nodded to himself and sighed, 'Another wing.' Looking at everyone else, it was clear they were still quite dumbfounded. So he took it upon himself to take control of the aftermath, starting with some towels. Lots of towels.

Cid brushing past him seemed to awaken Squall, and after watching him for a moment, Squall stepped forward to Aeris's side, putting his gloved right hand on her blood-speckled shoulder. But she didn't snap out of her stupor until he'd called her name softly. She half shook her head and slowly looked up at him, passing by Yuffie's image as she did so, who was still in that wide-eyed, hands over mouth stance. Her glazed eyes were on Squall, but unfocused. Squall knelt and brought his other hand up to cup her cheek. "Aeris," he said, "come on. Look at me." 

It took her a few moments, but her eyes finally focused on his, widening a little as everything came back to her. She moved her head as much as his hand would allow, her eyes taking in the room. Cloud's blood was _every_where. On the ceiling, the back wall, the sheets, her. Her! 'Oh, no, Cloud!' she worried, looking him over as best she could after breaking out of Squall's light hold. She pushed his sweat-matted hair off his face and checked his pulse. 'Finally, it's at a decent pace.' She sighed, the last hour's or two hours' tension running out with her breath. 

She looked up as Cid returned and walked over to her, giving her an assessing glance before handing some towels to Squall, who nodded and watched as Cid once again left the room, presumably back to the cockpit. He had let his hand fall after she had shaken it from her, paying attention only to her. He looked at the hand grasping the towels, his right one, the one that had gripped her shoulder. The blood from her shoulder had been soaked off his glove into the topmost towel, a bright red stain. He pulled his other hand to separate the towels, and was sure he would have blushed as he removed it from her lap if the circumstances hadn't been so somber. Using his left arm, he tossed a couple of towels at Yuffie, and asked for her to help clean everything up. The gentle whack of the soft cloth against her face broke her trance and her nimble hands reacted quickly to catch the falling material, giving a nod before moving numbly to start wiping the far wall. Squall turned his attention back to Aeris and lifted a towel, gingerly removing the blood from her face. She turned from him, taking a free towel with her and began to clean Cloud's face and back. Unperturbed, Squall cleared the cheek now facing him, and after finishing, moved to her neck, and then shoulder, working his way down. 

"You know," he started in softly as he wiped down her arm, "he'll be alright until after you're cleaned up."

Aeris pulled her arm away from him and gave him a sharp glare before once again attending to Cloud. "It will be much easier to get this off him before it becomes all crusty," she said with slight anger in her voice. Her tone made Squall look up her, bewilderment highlighting his features. "And it _will_ be dry by the time I go dig some spare clothes out and take care of these." His skin was now free of blood so she moved onto the newly…_sprouted_…wing, carefully lifting it and smoothing the towel along its length. She heard Squall's sigh, but continued to ignore him. She had to see to Cloud, then she would listen to what it was he wanted to say, but would make no promises to do what he asked. 

"Aeris, you should go change," Squall started, and when she made no acknowledgement of his call, said her name again. Reaching up, he grabbed her forearm, her name on the tip of his tongue, and as he drew breath to speak it, a hand was placed on his forearm, with crushing strength. His eyes shot to the source of pain and followed it to meet eyes of blue steel. 

"Don't _touch_ her," Cloud uttered extremely tersely. "And don't tell her what to do." Upon speaking, Aeris had said his name, but he didn't turn to her. He must put this guy in his place, but she was making it difficult to do so with the way she was stroking his hair and cheek. 

Squall hardened his features and defended himself, overlooking Aeris's hand. "She's a big girl, and can make her own decisions. I was only giving her an option," he said as he glared back at the other man.

"That's right, she can. So stop pushing her. And let _go_ of her," Cloud said darkly, squeezing the man's arm harder, the leather of his jacket sleeve creaking under the pressure. 

Squall's sight never left Cloud's, and he would have remained defiant if not for the granite hold on his arm. Closing his eyes and sighing around a slight wince, he opened his hand, releasing Aeris's arm. And as soon as he'd done so, Cloud had flung his arm away before releasing his on hold on him, glaring at him the entire time. Having been humiliated and feeling awfully rebuked, Squall stood and left the room, the towel in his hand hitting the floor non-too softly. And he could feel Cloud's gaze all the way and even through the metallic walls as he calmly fled. 

Cloud pulled his arm back, bringing it to wrap around along Aeris's leg as the hand rested behind her, touching her buttocks. He felt her tense and rubbed his face against her briefly before returning to watch the doorway. He knew why she'd tensed, but didn't react to it. That had not been his intention. Possessiveness making a sweep over him, he hugged her a little more, exhaling heavily. It had been so difficult to do that, shooing that guy out of here. He hadn't had the energy for it, but he wouldn't stand for what he'd been doing. 

Looking up over to Yuffie, Aeris saw her quickly shift her eyes back to where the far wall and floor met, chasing the pooling drops of blood with her towel. "We'll be fine, Yuffie. You don't have to stay any longer," Aeris said with a soft smile. 

Cloud's head shot up and looked behind him to see Yuffie hesitantly standing up. He hadn't even known she was here. Turning back to his previous position of hugging Aeris about her legs, he muffled through them, "She's okay." 

Aeris saw a quick bright smile flit across Yuffie's lips before she went back to catching his blood. Smiling herself, Aeris put her arms atop Cloud, hugging him as best she could, and ducked her head as a couple of tears escaped. 'Oh, thank you, Holy, that it's over.' And they stayed that way long after Yuffie had left, comforting each other without words, only through the contact of skin and cloth.

**********************

That's the last chapter of this fanfic. I won't be continuing any farther for I have lost interest in it.

JUST KIDDING. 

*Some one had asked as to why Cloud saying that would inspire "more blood wiping by Yuffie". Well, I just wanted to show that Yuffie understood she was being accepted into Cloud and Aeris's company. I thought that was important because those two usually like to be alone when they can. And so by letting Yuffie stay, Cloud was in some way acknowledging Yuffie's newfound intimacy into their 'group'. Does that make sense? _ Doesn't feel as if I explained it well! 

And BOY did THIS sucker need a revision! It was chock FULL of errors!


	6. Never Knew

Gah, haven't written in awhile and now I'm trying to get back into it. _

Revised: 4/9/04

**********************

*** = Shift in PoV

' ' = Thoughts

" " = Dialogue

::: = Flashback

[ ] = Suggested Soundtrack

( ) = Disc – Track Number

[ -- ] = No Music, Silence

**********************

[Prelude – Final Fantasy Pray (1-01)]

Cloud had become lost in the warmth that was Aeris, losing track of his surroundings and time. The only thought occupying his exhausted mind was that he could stay in this position for quite some time. And taking in the full glow, Cloud hugged his pillow a little more, somewhere in his mind registering that it was Aeris who was his cushion. As he lay there, he thought on the recent events. Another wing, another disfigurement, another mark of his inhumanity… And he was sure such thoughts would have continued if he hadn't remembered what he'd been doing prior to the new growth.

"Holy shit!" he exclaimed as his head jerked up. Aeris jolted and Cloud felt momentarily guilty for scaring her like that. Apologizing quickly, he pushed himself up on his elbows, then sat on the bed. Bringing a hand to his face shortly 'til his head cleared a bit, he staggered up and made his way to the door, footing becoming more sure the closer he got to it. 

Aeris was right behind him, worry coloring her tender face. "Cloud, what are you doing? It's too soon for you to be up!" Her hand reached out for him, settling upon his forearm, forever bandaged it seemed, as he paused to open the curtain.

He paused drawing it back to look at her, "I'm fine now, Aeris. Really," he said with a small smile. "I promised Cid something, I have to keep it."

Aeris was not going to give up. "He'll understand if you don't fulfill it, Cloud! He was there!" she reasoned as she pulled her hands to clutch in front of her, her adorable face taking on a slightly pouting tint.

A hand came up to gently stroke her cheek with the back of its fingers. "I know he would, Aeris. But I promised. And, thanks. For helping me…as you always do." And with that, Cloud walked up the hall to the cockpit. 

Aeris watched him until he sat down next to Cid in the co-pilot's seat. "Just don't push yourself too far, Cloud," she said to herself before leaving to find something to help with. It wouldn't do herself or anyone else any good to just sit around and worry. She thought it would be best if she checked on Yuffie first. While the girl had seemed alright in the end, she had been quite terrified at that start of it all. 'I should just make sure she really is alright…'

**********************

[Kogetsu Souya- Juuni Kokki Ending Single (1-02)] 

Cid had been truly grateful to Cloud for returning to his temporary post. He was shit tired and needed some sleep. Sure, they all went through long periods of little or none at all for days on end during the whole Sephiroth campaign, but didn't mean he _liked_ going without it. No sleep was almost as horrid as no cigs, as far as he was concerned. Before preparing to relinquish control of the helm to Cloud _again_, Cid glanced over at him once more, telling himself it was just to make sure that the kid really was good to go again. His eyes swept Cloud over from boots to highest spike of his pale hair before taking his image in as a whole. The now pair of wings had such an...ethereal effect on the eyes, standing out drastically against the pale skin uninhibited by cloth. And fleetingly, he'd wondered why Cloud hadn't covered them up again. Perhaps he figured everyone already knew, so what's the point... The wings made Cloud seem as if he would dissipate at the slightest disturbance... Cid jerked his hand back embarrassedly, his face flushing as he realized he'd just attempted to see if that really would happen. And the embarrassment only grew as Cloud first looked at him through the corners of his eyes, then straight on as he took in Cid's red face, the question written in his boy-like features. 'He wouldn't look so young if he'd let some damned facial hair grow out!' he thought. 'The longer hair helps, but he still looks so goddamn young.'

Cid just shook his head slightly, trying to peak at Cloud through the sides of his eyes. Hard to do, since the kid was so damned observant, so he had to do it in quick spurts. When Cloud did finally go back to the console before him, Cid tried to make casual conversation. "Hey, Cloud," he started out as casually as he could manage, "why don't you, uh, grow some hair or something." It was more of a suggestion and Cid mentally smacked himself for not making it sound more like a question.

Cloud looked up at Cid, puzzlement drawing his fair brows together. "What do you mean?" He shifted his eyes up to look at his long bangs. "I thought I had plenty of hair." And here he gave a teasing smile while a mischievous glint momentarily entered his eyes. "And I was under the impression that you all thought I had too much of it as is." 

Cid shook his head and said, "Nah. I mean like...a beard or something. Maybe a goatee or mustache. Just some facial hair to make you look older, is all." He sent a side glance every so often in-between last-minute command inputs, trying to gauge Cloud's reaction. "I mean, I've never even seen you shave, or carry any thing _used_ for that." The other man hadn't even moved much, only smile and eyes dropping, looking past the floor, it seemed. He stayed in that position for some time before turning in the seat to properly face the console once again, not a single sound uttered. Cid half-turned to face him and waited, about to voice Cloud's name when he spoke, so very quietly. "What was that?" Cid said, perplexed. He hadn't heard what he'd said, but he did hear the quiet sigh that left Cloud at his question. 

He stopped his ministrations on the controls, and stilled his hands against the edge, elbows locking and arms becoming rigid. "I said I can't," he whispered. Knowing what was coming, he answered Cid's next question before it could be asked. "I...never really reached that...point." He punctuated this statement with an even stare at Cid before turning away again to the console, in what was embarrassment or shame, Cid thought. 

Cid knew he probably shouldn't pry, but he wanted to know. And he didn't see what this could hurt. Not like he was asking the kid about his sex life with Aeris. Though that would be an interesting topic, he mused off-handedly. "I don't understand," he said simply, hoping the kid would elaborate.

Cloud sighed, knowing he didn't have to continue, but doing so anyway. "Back in...Nibelheim...when I underwent... you know," he started without looking up, though Cid could plainly see the contorting of his face. "My body...changed. Or is it stopped changing?" he asked rhetorically, giving a bitter laugh. He sat back in the chair, another sigh escaping him as his did, this one weary. "A few weeks before the whole Nibelheim...horror...my voice had finally dropped, cracked, call it what you want." And Cid briefly recalled that he'd never heard Cloud speak of his hometown without pausing, no matter how slight, when he _did_ speak of it. "As you all know I've under-gone the procedures for SOLDIER without being one...officially. On paper." His left hand came up, idly playing with a knob in front of him. "But I have all the scars which say differently..." he mumbled, and Cid was sure that comment had been purely unintentional. "I've ceased...developing at sixteen, since that day."

"Developing?"

Cloud waved the previously fidgeting hand vaguely, trying to come up with some thing. "What's the word...? Maturing." The fingers returned to their haven of turning the knob left, then right, then left again, lost in the meaningless rhythm. "I haven't aged a day since then, Cid. I was lucky my voice dropped when it did, or I would have forever sounded like a girl." The fingers paused in their play. "I've...never had the experience of shaving. I don't know what it is. Or what any other hair besides the ones on top of my head feel like." Cloud looked across at Cid with a sad little smile on his face and concluded, "I'm twenty two years old, Cid, and trapped in a boy's body."

Cid was...well, floored. He'd never really put any thought into the cause of Cloud's...overly youthful appearance. So, being overwhelmed, he spoke without thinking...again. "So, you have like no pubic hair at _all_?"

Cloud's flush was instantaneous. He lifted his left arm up, elbow above his ear and out towards Cid, exposing the clear, smooth, hairless underarm. "There. Do you believe me now?"

Cid nodded, but his mouth still hadn't caught up with his brain. "What about down there? None at all?"

"I refuse to answer that," Cloud said through tight lips, returning to the console. "Everyone, all the SOLDIERs, I mean, looked young," he continued after some time. Whatever age they were inducted at is the age their body retained." 

Cid kept quiet, intrigued by this insight into the SOLDIER process. He'd seen a few in his time serving, and they'd all had that fresh, young look to them. But never green...never green. They'd all glared too sharply to ever be green. Just as Cloud did. They were considered elite, and therefore, very hush-hush. Weren't allowed to discuss anything about their attributes. Someone might over hear ya. So everyone except the higher-ups wondered why they were always so young in appearance. But it never really became such a mainstream issue until after Sephiroth's fame in the Wutai War, when he was in the Shinra spotlight for two decades and no evidence of his aging was visible. Or recorded, according to endurance tests. But his thoughts focused on Cloud when he continued to speak.

"He always looked young. Never woulda thought he'd fought in the Wutai war looking at him." Cloud chuckled lightly to himself here. "Never woulda thought he was almost fifty either," Cloud said to himself, laughing more heavily here. "But then again, _he_ never showed his age either." That statement was issued with such vehemence and darkness that Cid knew Cloud hadn't been talking about Sephiroth until that last statement. So he was left to wonder just who Cloud had been referring to in the beginning. Someone he'd been fond of, he was sure.

Cid had leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees with hands clasped in front sometime during Cloud's reflection. But at what point, he couldn't say. He'd let that comment on their past enemy slide, knowing when to leave something alone for the better. He'd been gazing absently at Cloud's left arm, but that image was finally starting to register in his brain. He couldn't say what made his mind take this course of thought, whether it was the lack of clothing on the kid's torso or perhaps an observant spell on his part, but the ever-present wrappings along Cloud's left forearm stood out. More so than usual. He'd always thought it'd been to pad against the heavy gauntlets Cloud wore, but that idea was less sure as he thought of how the right arm wasn't as sufficiently protected. That, and the many circumstances where it had remained there outside of battle-dress. Cid gathered his breath, and voiced his thought. "There's one thing I've always wanted to ask you, Cloud." And Cid continued to stare at the wrapping as he felt Cloud's eyes on him. "Why do you always have that arm bandaged, even when not fighting?" he asked, nodding towards the subject of conversation.

Cloud's eyes hadn't so much as narrowed, before he asked in a strange voice, "Are you sure you want to know?" Cid looked up to his eyes. Something in the other man's tone held warning. But a warning against what wasn't clear. 

Cid nodded, looking back to the wrappings. "Yeah, pretty sure. I've always wondered."

Cloud's narrowed eyes stayed on him a moment longer before turning to look out the view screen. "It was back then, in...Nibelheim, too. When we were under the mansion...'n the tubes." Cid couldn't stop himself from looking at the kid's face as the shuddering sigh escaped Cloud. He watched as Cloud's eyes fell closed and his lips parted to take a deep breath. "It was one of my more..._lucid_ moments," he said, bluest eyes once again peering out the front to the stars beyond. "A passing orderly had dropped a shard of materia. I...I tried so _hard_ to remember it was there, so I could grab it the next time I was...removed." Another breath. "It hadn't been too difficult, really. Hojo had never payed that much attention after he was...done with me." Cloud had paused, and Cid didn't think too much of it, until the pause lasted more than a few moments. Cid had looked up, seeing that Cloud had switched to looking out the side. He opened his mouth, but was immediately shushed by Cloud's hand as it waved him silent. "Zack...tried to stop me, of course, when he figured out what was happening." His voice had become muffled from facing away from him, and Cid leaned further forward to hear. He almost felt bad for not stopping the kid, such was the level of melancholy in his voice. "Even through all the pain...he was always trying to protect me. But he never got put through half of what I did... He was in the other tube, after all...and they _were_ only words." For some reason, that statement, so full of dark promises in days long past, caused Cid to shudder, and he tried his best to suppress it, lest he push his friend away. "I had the body of a SOLDIER. Knives, the scalpels I managed to conceal... All blades were useless. I healed much too quickly. But I never stopped trying." Cid's mouth fell. He understood it now, the bandages. Cloud looked at his forearm, palm open, facing the ceiling and exposing the underside of the arm. "As you can see, it didn't work. But it's the only thing to ever leave any scars on my body," he finished, looking at Cid with an emotionless smile.

After the shock of that story had swept and passed through Cid, he voiced the one question on his mind. "Why do you cover it up, then?"

"I don't like the reminder of my never-ending life." The answer was very frank. And Cid knew those were often the most painful to accept. After a time, Cloud amended, "Well, as never-ending as I know. I'm sure I'll die someday. I better." Such a wicked thought, but Cid knew the kid had more than just reasons to wish for an eventual death. 

'Zack,' Cid recalled. 'Was that who he'd been mentioning before Sephiroth?' He shook his head slightly. He remembered Cloud telling them of how Zack had been a SOLDIER and how he'd helped him. So much about what he'd told them could be considered doubtful. 'But admitting to someone saving your life was not something a man would just throw around,' Cid nodded to himself. 'He'd been too embarrassed when stating that. And the kid wouldn't have been around today if that guy hadn't've pulled him outta there. I suspect, as I have for a long time, that everything he's told us about Nibelheim is true. After he corrected that it was Zack who was there as a SOLDIER and not himself. He would've been too damned weak to get outta there himself. Even Vincent had concluded the same thing in a private consultation,' Cid mused. He stood up and stretched, then walked to stand in the doorway. He placed his hand on Cloud's closest shoulder, and spoke with a sincere tone, one Cloud couldn't remember ever hearing from Cid before. "Thanks for telling me, Cloud. I–I know it musta been hard." And with a small pat from his hand, Cid mumbled something about catching the rest of his sleep before wandering down the hall. Cloud had only given a small smile and nod before positioning his wings and leaning back in the chair, intent on his chore.

**********************

[Fishermen's Horizon - Final Fantasy VIII: Fithos Lusec Wecos Vinosec (1-05)]

He slashed fiercely left, quickly spinning on the ball of his foot to the right to parry the incoming attack, stabbing at the front before pivoting to cover his own back, beads of sweat flying from his face as he did his latest sweep. He flipped his right hand, preparing to do a rolling slash, only to stumble at her voice. "It's a little hotter here than it was in Traverse Town, hm." 

It was more an observation and stating of fact than an actual question. But her sudden intrusion, though not _entirely_ unwelcome, scared the shit out of him. He stood straight, Lionheart falling to his side, the gloved right hand gripping it increasingly tighter as he looked at her. "Aa," he acknowledged. Without the cool dampening effect of the cave-enclosed water, he was sweating up a storm. He'd removed his jacket to help, but he knew his simple shirt was soaked through in most places. He felt strangely vulnerable. He clenched Lionheart's handle again as his eyes took in the room quickly, then looked to behind where Aeris stood.

She pushed off from where she'd been leaning with crossed arms against the door frame to the ladder chute, speaking in a quiet assuring voice, "He's not here." And Aeris couldn't tell if she was supposed to be saddened or happy by his reaction of visibly relaxing. She had been walking towards him, but had stopped when he'd tensed up again. She sighed. He was on guard and wouldn't let her any closer. She could see that by how the one foot had shifted just slightly away from her, ready to take a full step, if needed. Although the distance between them probably wasn't much greater than it had been during this routine in the cave, it felt too far. Her crossed arms fell apart, and her fingers started fidgeting with each other. "I came to apologize," she said haltingly. 

And Squall became a little less guarded as curiosity spread across his face, the pinched features easing. "For what?" was all he said. 

"For earlier. For Cloud...and me," she said looking up into his eyes. "I'm sorry, Squall. I didn't mean to snap at you."

He knew it was wrong, especially when Cloud had literally flung him away from Aeris, but he couldn't stop looking into her beautiful, pleading eyes. "You didn't really snap."

But she shook her head, refusing to let Squall shake it off as nothing. She had been so worried about Cloud, and that had made her irritable. "No, I know you were only trying to help. I knew that, I just... I was just so worried about him. And at the time, I felt you were getting in my way. I really am so very sorry, Squall!" She surged forward in her earnestness, hands clasped under her chin, and Squall hadn't been able to move away quick enough. But she didn't come within three feet of him, of that he was grateful. Even now she was still aware of others' feelings. 

He felt himself soften and he half-smiled, still wary, repeatedly looking off to the side, unable to gaze into those eyes at her confession. "I know." He adjusted his grip on the handle again, his other hand flexing as well, still nervously keeping his eyes from meeting hers for too long. 

Her hands fell to hang in front of her, her eyes following them. "And Cloud...he's just over protective. He doesn't really mean to come across so harshly," she said, guilty eyes meeting his for a fraction of time before timidly darting away again. "It's probably just him not wanting me to get hurt again, is all," she said with a pretty smile as she came forward and took his free hand. The contact had caused him to jump and his head had whipped around to look at her. 'Too close. Too close,' was all he could think of for the first few seconds. "That's probably all it is, is him being over protective. So please don't let it bother you too much," she said as she squeezed his hand. And it was pure reflex that made him return a gentle one of his own. But his thoughts were doubtful as to Aeris's reasoning. He looked at his hand clasped within the both of hers, the black leather worn, but it did nothing to hinder the feel of her. He was glad they were on, for the feeling of skin to skin would be too much for him right now, and he knew he'd do something he'd be made to pay for if they'd been off.

[Love Grows - Final Fantasy VIII: Fithos Lusec Wecos Vinosec (1-10)]

He pulled away from her and turned to face the wall free of crates. "I'm not so sure about that, Aeris. But I didn't come down here to think of that." He brought Lionheart up to a ready position. "You'd better leave before he finds you here. I need to practice. It's been awhile since my last time." He could see Aeris shake her head 'no' from the corner of his eye.

She moved to plop down against a stack of crates. "No, lemme stay and watch you. Like we used to do in Traverse Town," she said with a smile from atop hugged knees, which turned sad. "One last time."

The pang in his heart flared and Squall struggled to keep it from his features. 'That's right,' he told himself. 'Tomorrow,' slash, 'I'll be dropped off.' Parry. Thrust. 'And she'll be gone.' Spin and cut. 'Forever.' Twist and dice. 'I'll be alone.' Dash and slice. 'Again.' 

He didn't like to think of the time his world was engulfed by the darkness that was the Heartless. They'd all fought, of course. Balamb's and the two newly rebuilt Gardens' joint efforts eventually squandered. All of the civilians had been put in some stronghold, while those who chose to fight, the Seeds, and Seed students themselves took care of the waves of Heartless. There were...many deaths. He hadn't wanted Rinoa to fight. Had argued with her about it through most of that night. But, in the end, she was still Rinoa, sorceress and all. Her spells had been more than welcome, but after awhile, their effectiveness was decreasing. And after more time, the rate of that decrease had become frighteningly noticeable. He'd managed to convince her to stay at the civilian compound, guarding them, figuring she'd never see any action. But they had fallen back to that point far too quickly, their numbers sickeningly low. Defeat was apparent; he could remember its foul taste. But he'd tried to protect her, up to the last. The cry that tried to escape him was too strong, and he had to convert the energy into something else, which he did by thrusting his sword with all the pent up rage into the crate in front of him. The sound of the shattering wood broke him from his memories, and he blinked as he looked at what he'd done, his arm still extended and locked, with Lionheart halfway buried. 

Squall pulled it free from the crate, his left hand coming up to his forehead. Aeris had come to his side, placing hesitant hands on his bicep and shoulder as he continued to hold his hand to his face. "Are you alright, Squall?"

The touch had been expected, that was her way, but it still burned. He lifted his fingers away from his face, gazing at her from underneath his palm, then at the slender fingers gently wrapped over his folded arm at the bicep, before returning to her face. He let the arm fall as he stared at the damaged crate in front of him, her one hand falling away, while the one at his shoulder remained. "Yeah," he said distantly, closing his eyes briefly. "Just..remembering what's waiting for me."

Her eyes narrowed in worry and confusion at the bitterness she could detect in his statement. "Waiting for you? What do you mean? Something bad? That you need help with?" she asked all at once, though not hurried, the hand once again returning to his bicep. He thought he was going to turn to ash. 

He sighed, wondering himself where he was going with this. "You told me before that you and...Cloud are alone in your world." He looked right out the viewport across the way. While no where near as large as the one in the 'Viewing Room', a good deal could still be seen through it. And the starlight, faint as it was, coming through the small window, added a comforting glow. "I, too, have no one waiting for me back home." Aeris's hands squeezed in sympathy, and Squall shuddered. "Rinoa," his voice hitched, and absently he wondered if she thought his previous shiver was due to his current emotional stress as he tried to explain. "Rinoa," he started again, voice still catching, "didn't...make it. They...were pushing too fiercely before we fell." He could feel the damned tears. Burning wetness pooling along the bottom lid. No matter how many times he thought of it, he couldn't keep the damned bastards from coming. 

He moved his free arm up to wipe them away, jerking his head around to face her as Aeris pulled on that arm, keeping him from doing so with a slow shake of her head. "No," she said, voice gentle. "Don't deny them. I know you're probably embarrassed, but all they mean is that you cared, and still do. That's why they keep coming," she finished with an all too knowing smile. The hand that had kept his arm from moving came up to stroke the tear off his right cheek, the caress more than he could handle. His breath caught, a small hiccup, and the tiny hand cupped his cheek. More hiccups followed, more tears, and faster and faster until they were a stream of grief, finally freed because he could no longer hold it prisoner after the knowledge of a second love, finally found, only to be lost again. The pressure had been so very slight, but it had been more than enough and all that was needed before he completely gave in to the feelings and her eyes. The Lionheart slipped from his fingers, clanging somewhat hollowly on the floor, as he leaned into her, arms wrapping around her small form as hers adjusted to embrace him. The hand slid up from his cheek to cradle the back of his head, the other sliding around both shoulders. She held him while he released the emotional memories of his past, tucking her chin upon his head as they sank to the floor accompanied by the muffled sounds of his sobs.

**********************

Yuffie slunk back into the shadow of the chute, fingers of a hand coming to her lips in thought, processing what she'd seen silently. This could spell trouble for the next twenty-four hours, she knew, and she looked at them once again. She turned away and started back up the ladder quietly. She had best make sure Cloud was well occupied for a good while, lest war break out. And there was no doubt in her mind nothing short of that would occur if he was to see them in such a position, no matter how innocent the intentions. While not overly violent, Cloud protected what was his with all his passion. And having once lost this something previously, Yuffie found herself in fear of the intensity with which Cloud might retaliate. 

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Hmm, well, I think I'll end it there for now. =) Lots going on in this chapter, and none of it was planned. Angsty! I know it's not my usual nine pages, but I exhausted myself writing this. Dunno how. =/ But I thought this would be enough to tie most people over til the next posting, since it HAS been quite some time.

As always, emails welcome, no matter the subject/viewpoint. ^^ 


	7. And So It Begins

Revised: 4/9/04

**********************

*** = Shift in PoV

' ' = Thoughts

" " = Dialogue

::: = Flashback

[ ] = Suggested Soundtrack

( ) = Disc – Track Number

[ -- ] = No Music, Silence

**********************

[Lady Eboshi – Mononoke Hime (1-11)]

Yuffie had traversed the central hallway in route to the cockpit and Cloud quietly, fingers at her lips once more, in thought of ways to keep Cloud where he was for some time, otherwise it wouldn't be pretty.  She was beginning to notice more and more how she was, well, watching out for Cloud.  She cared for him and knew he'd had a hard life, harder than most people should _ever_ have.  Not that she minded being protective of him.  It was strange to think of a skinny little sixteen-year-old shinobi looking out for the savior of the world.  She just wondered _when_ she had started being this way.  Looking up ahead, she could see Cloud's left wing prominently standing out against his skin.  He…wasn't wearing his shirt.  Yuffie wasn't sure what to think of this.  He'd been trying so hard to hide it before, but now it seemed he didn't care.  But she supposed that was true to Cloud-fashion, after a moment.  Once something came out, he never seemed to give a damn about it and just moved on.  She had paused at the innermost doorway, leaning on the frame and just observing Cloud silently.  

"Did you need something?"

She wasn't surprised he knew she was there.  He and Vincent were the only two she'd ever had trouble sneaking up on. 'Well, Red too,' she amended.  But being called upon forced her hand, even though she had none to play just yet.  She moved to sit in the pilot's chair, facing forward with her feet stuck out to the side in the alley between the chairs.  The fingers of both hands met around one knob, elbows propped on the edge of the console, eyes disinterestedly watching the mundane movements of bored fingers.  "No, not really," she finally replied, still watching her momentary toy.  When Cloud's eyes slid off her once more, Yuffie turned in the chair to face him.  She didn't know how she was supposed to keep him here.  Maybe she wouldn't have to do anything at all.  It seemed as if he had no intention of leaving anytime soon with the way he was slouched in his chair.  But either way, she still felt stupid just sitting here, staring at him, in silence… 'Okay,' she thought to herself, 'this sucks.  Think of something!'  Sliding her elbows to her knees and clasping her hands in front as she leaned forward, she said, "So…"

Cloud glanced at her sideways after she failed to continue, and countered, "So…what?"

"Well, um, how're you doing?  You busy?"

His eyes were hooded as he looked at her from the corners of his eyes, face serious.  "As a matter of fact," he began calmly, "I am.  I have many tests that need to be run, results to record, and reports to give to Cid after he wakes up."  He never took his eyes off her, nor let his face ease, and remained silent after saying what he had.  

Yuffie blinked.  She hadn't been expecting that.  "Oh," she said, stunned.  "Guess…I'll be going then.  Don't wanna bother you," she finished as she stood and walked to leave the room.

"I was kidding, Yuffie," he stated matter-of-factly, still watching her from the side.  

She spun around in the doorway, a foot shooting behind the other, one hand behind her back and the other behind her head as she gave off a short, embarrassed laugh.  "I knew that," and she continued to laugh for a few more seconds before she felt awkward and stopped, gazing at Cloud's back.  She sobered after a few moments, remembering home.  "Ne, Cloud," she started, her voice somewhat sad and wistful as she leaned in the doorway.

"Hm?"  

His voice did not indicate any great interest, nor did it hint at any uninterest, so Yuffie spoke her thought.  "Do y'know what they called you in Wutai after Meteor?  Call you, I mean?"

He turned his head just the slightest bit to gaze at her over his shoulder, the visible eyebrow cocked ever so slightly.  "No."  He was almost afraid to ask, to know.  His self image had never been good and others' image of him even worse.  "What?"

"Shiroi Ryu."

Cloud turned fully in his seat, his arm resting on top of the back of the chair, to look her straight in the face, to read what might be written on it.  "The White Dragon…why?" he whispered, breathless and suspicious for reasons he couldn't fathom.  Why would they dub him that, of all things?  He was familiar with Wutai's history and culture.  All Shinra graduates were.  It was that whole motto of 'keep your enemies closer'; you had to know everything about your greatest wartime opponent. 

Yuffie looked at him with a small smile.  "Because many think you are him."

He…didn't know how to even _begin_ interpreting that.  The White Dragon, Wutai's supreme god, master of Leviathan…they thought he was…_him_?  It was…a tremendous honor, and very frightening on several levels.  They thought he was a deity, _their_ god, even.  "No," he said.  "No, that's not…_Why_?" he changed his thought.  "_How_ could they even _think_ that?" his intense blue eyes begged of her.  "I'm…nowhere near that great...or powerful."

"Oh, Cloud!" Yuffie exclaimed as she rushed around to kneel in front of him, grabbing the right hand, which rested in his lap.  "But you _are_! Don't you see?" her eyes pleaded back at him.  Of course she had known he hadn't, and his previous questions and current facial expression said as much, but she was unable to keep those words back.  "It's not just your power, or your tactical knowledge, or your persona, it's-it's just _you_.  And your ever-present modesty about _every_thing just magnifies it, makes it all so much more believable!"  She took a moment and breathed deeply before continuing.  "And now with those wings, it's almost undeniable.  Surely, you _could_ be his incarnation?"  She hadn't meant to make it a question, but perhaps he could confirm Wutai's faith in _some_ manner…  

Cloud's mind rushed with thoughts, and yet, somehow, remained strangely blank at the same time.  Her large, brown eyes were so full of…hope? Awe?  He could certainly see those two emotions, but there were definitely others running rampant within, as well.  'No,' he thought, 'this isn't real.'  Aloud, he spoke, unable to hide his skepticism. "Surely you don't believe that."  But as he looked into her eyes, he knew that know matter what came out of her mouth, some part of her did.

Yuffie's face froze, she…had never really thought about it like that.  But now that he'd asked her that, heard it voiced, she found she'd surprised herself.  "Well, actually…I think I do…a little." Her eyes dropped, only to return to his when she next spoke.  "I mean, I know what you've been through and how you came to be the way you are, but I…I just can't help believing in it, if only a tiny bit.  It's just a little too real," she finished breathlessly, her hands grasping his more.  "And there's this song, passed down within my family…  It's perfect.  You fit it so well, _too_ well, Cloud." Her eyes… "Now that I think about that, there's no way you can't be hi—"

"Stop!" he almost shouted, shaking his head slightly.   "Stop it.  Just…  I'm not.  I'm not him.  I'm just me."  He knew the homage song she spoke of, depicting the relationship between the imperial family of Wutai and the White Dragon.  "I can't be him.  Anyway, I don't have blue hair," he said looking at her.

[Mononoke Hime – Mononoke Hime (1-18)]

Yuffie knew exactly what phrase of the song he was referring to, and answered his small challenge.  "No, _your_ hair isn't blue.  But the color of the dragon's hair comes from the eyes in human form."  Cloud's eyes widened as the implications hit him, and his lips parted as he shook his head in disbelief that she'd been able to counter his arguments, before closing them to adamantly voice the impossibility again.  "So the hair _would_ be blue…"  Yuffie wasn't trying to force him to believe what her people did, only wanted to tell him of it.  Although as to why, she couldn't say.  Perhaps a bigger part of her thought that than even she herself knew.  After all, peers and elders did have a large effect on one's beliefs and outlooks.  "Cloud," she started, rubbing his one hand with her two thumbs as she watched their movements, "I'm not trying to get you to accept this.  I…hell, I don't even know why I brought this up.  I guess…I just couldn't help myself.  It was just such a romantic idea, after all.  That you could be a god, our supreme god," she finished more to herself than him. 

Something within him froze.  'NO!' his mind screamed.  'I'm not a god!  I'm not like _him_!  I'm not crazy like _him_!  Wanting to become such an impossible thing!'  He was squeezing his eyes shut so tightly that he was actually beginning to feel a headache starting.  'I'm not crazy. I'm not crazy. I'm not crazy. I'm not crazy,' he repeated to himself several times until he calmed down.  'I didn't attempt kill millions of people to attain godhood.  I'm…not like that.' 

Yuffie's face was etched in worry as she looked into his.  Cloud was clenching his fist so tightly…it hurt.  "Cloud," she said softly, "you're hurting me."

He snapped his view down, to her cautiously parted lips, the large eyes that were silently pleading with him, and the hand that was slowly crushing her smaller ones.  Small hands he knew to deal lethal amounts of skill and damage.  He opened his fingers slowly, releasing her from his unintentional vise.  He gazed into her eyes, taking her in in silence.  He'd been gone for only a short time, and she hasn't even celebrated another birthday.  And yet, there was a sense of maturity about her that hadn't been there when he'd…left.  She'd changed, subtly, but for the better.  And he found himself wanting to check in on her every once in a while to see just how she was progressing.  "I'm sorry," he whispered.  "I…didn't mean to."

A small, understanding smile flitted across her face again and Cloud was once again struck with the fact that she had grown up quite a bit…but she was still no adult.  "I know, Cloud."  As he turned away with a slight flush on his cheeks, Yuffie frowned slightly before smiling in amusement.  'That blush was so faint he probably didn't even realize he'd done so,' she thought.  She stood up slowly and let his hand fall from hers.  Walking to the doorway once more, she spoke over her shoulder, "If you ever need to talk, I'll always listen."  And as she walked out, Cloud was left with his puzzlement of that offer and where it came from.

**********************

[Dearest BGM vrs. and Deatta Bashou De – Inu Yasha OST 2 (1-23 and 24)]

Yuffie had just turned her head from Cloud's form to watch the floor as she walked, only to have them caught by something a little farther down the hall.  Ok, she knew what those somethings were, but what those somethings were doing was far more disturbing.  She quickly hopped into the bedchamber on her right and carefully stuck the left side of her face out from behind the curtain, watching the scene unfold while throwing quick, furtive glances in the hopefully occupied Cloud's direction.  She wasn't alone.  Screw Cid and his sleep, this was far more critical!  

They had clearly just come from the lower deck, talking as they came ever nearer to her hiding spot.  As usual, Aeris had that beatific expression on her face, and Leon looked so very relaxed, letting his jacket swing from over his right shoulder.  Yuffie had never seen him smile like that, had never seen that almost full, open grin grace his features.  And Yuffie could not hear their words, could not even read their lips as he came gently to a stop and turned towards Aeris, and just as slowly brought his left palm up to place it flat against the wall next to Aeris's head.  She had been startled, that much was written on her face, though not in an overt manner, and her features took on a ponderous look.  He had lost his smile, and now was only gazing closely at her.  Yuffie's eyes shut as her gut tightened, bad thoughts forming in her head as his moved expectedly closer to Aeris's.  Yuffie could only think feveredly while slightly shaking a clenched fist, the other bracing her on the doorframe, 'Don't do it.  Don't you do it, Leon.  And don't you let him, Aeris!'  Daring to look upon the scene once more, Yuffie opened her eyes to see Leon's lips almost upon her parted ones.  And just when she was sure they would touch, Aeris jerked her head to the left in a short motion.  Leon released his pent-up breath in a puff of frustration as his head slid past hers, forehead just about kissing the wall.  Yuffie felt the hot tears escape.  She had been so afraid for Cloud that the emotion had manifested into those droplets.  That had been so close.  So close.  But the tension had defused considerably, much like Leon's chest with that released breath, and Yuffie felt that they all could breathe easier, now.  But despite that, Yuffie wanted to watch this play out, as she planned to confront Aeris on this, oh, yes, indeed.  

Leon looked up, at the ceiling, through it, and at whatever lay beyond, before releasing another sigh.  Looking down fleetingly at the foot that had stepped to Aeris's side, he slowly pushed off with his hand and moved a fair distance from her.  He looked her over once, but not at all briefly, taking in her still-turned head and hands desperately trying to dig into the metal wall.  His head turned left as he paused in thought, before adjusting his grip on the jacket and continuing down that way, alone.  Reaching the entrance to the shower room, he opened the door and entered without looking back. 

Only when the door had been shut did Aeris slowly turn to gaze at her feet and did Yuffie step out from behind the curtain.  Aeris gradually moved to look at the door through which Leon had disappeared, halting as she came across Yuffie's tense frame and fierce set of her face.  She could feel the rigid aura emanating from the smaller girl and her body posture had only confirmed it.  Yuffie's hands were clenched into tight fists, and she could see the girl's chest heaving slightly.  Her face was tight, and her eyes red.  Aeris became quite concerned as she finished taking the shinobi in and tried to console her.  "Yuffie, are you okay?"

Yuffie closed her eyes as she took in a deep breath, attempting to calm herself somewhat so she wouldn't yell or lose control in some other manner.  She didn't want to attract Cloud's attention on a conversation regarding this topic.  She would have to get pretty close to Aeris and speak extremely quietly in order to prevent him from even hearing the whispers with that sensitive hearing of his.  Coming to stand just in front of Aeris, Yuffie looked up into her face with schooled features, steeling herself for this confrontation.  "Aeris," she began, her voice tight, "what the hell were you doing?"

Aeris's eyebrows drew together slightly as her head cocked to the side, "What do you mean?"  And her eyebrows drew even further together as Yuffie made a desperate 'shushing' motion with her finger at her lips.  Only when the girl twitched her thumb behind her did Aeris see Cloud and understood to keep quiet.  This was apparently about him. 

"With Squall, of course!  What _else_ would I mean!?" Yuffie responded in a heated whisper, fists shooting down as she jerked her body up to bring herself closer to Aeris's face.  "What if he woulda _seen_ you!?!?  Do you know how _hurt_ he would've been?  Not to mention how impossible it would've been to _calm him down_," she finished in a near-silent huff, crossing her arms.  

Aeris didn't think anyone had seen that, but the fact that Yuffie had meant that it could just as easily have been Cloud.  She blushed deeply, afraid and embarrassed as to what happened, what could have, and what may come of this.  "I…didn't intend for it to happen, for anything to happen, really…" she started weakly.  What could she say when she didn't even know herself what had been happening?  Yuffie obviously could feel that as well, because the skeptical slant to her eyes told her so.  

"So," Yuffie began, "you were just gonna let him do whatever?  No matter what it was?"  Her arms were once again crossed as she gazed at Aeris in a very disapproving manner.  "You _had_ to have noticed he was getting closer to you, Aeris.  It's kind of hard to miss that."

"Well, of _course_ I noticed, I just didn't know what to do," she explained.  "I was just so confused."

Yuffie's eyebrow rose at that.  "Confused?" she echoed.  "If you're confused, then maybe you should just let Cloud know.  It's not fair to lead him on like this.  Or do you not _like_ him in that way?" she said as she shifted all her weight to one leg.  

Shaking her head, Aeris answered, "I would hope I do.  I did agree to marry him…," came the quiet reply. 

'Marry!?!'  Yuffie was quite taken aback and had stumbled a few steps away from Aeris at that quiet admission.  "He…asked you to marry him!?" she whispered heatedly.  

Aeris nodded slowly, almost childlike, "In the library, he asked me, and I couldn't possibly say no."

"Couldn't say no?"  Yuffie asked.  "Not being able to refuse him and not wanting to go through with it are two very different things, Aeris.  And the difference between them is very important," Yuffie lectured her.  "If you're not sure you want to do this, you better damned well tell him now."  Aeris's eyes had shot up to meet Yuffie's at that heated statement.  "Don't you _dare_ hurt him like this, Aeris.  Don't you _dare_.  You know what it'll do to him."  Yuffie had retracted her finger from nearly stabbing Aeris, but she was still glaring quite strongly at the woman across from her. 

"I know I want to, Yuffie, I really do," she said, meeting her eyes.  "There's something about him that I've never seen in anyone else," she whispered gently.  Aeris's hands found each other in front of her as her fingers wrapped around themselves, displaying her distraught.  "But with Squall, so much like Cloud, and yet not, I…"  The confusion was so evident in both her voice and face, but Yuffie refused to feel sorry even the slightest bit for her.  But Aeris's sigh interrupted any harsh thoughts Yuffie had been about to expel and forced her to listen to Aeris once again.  "In Traverse Town, when it was just us, it was like Cloud was there with me.  They just act so similar and it was so comforting to have that familiar presence after the disorientation of 'waking' up."

Yuffie's face softened at Aeris's reference to her revival.  When she put it in that perspective, she could understand why Aeris had been so attached to Squall.  But now that she was back with Cloud, the real thing, why did she persist in hanging onto him?  No one knew how she had come back, but everyone knew the why.  They had found similar cases with the other misplaced peoples in Traverse Town.  The only conclusion that any one could come up with was that with the merging of worlds, the flow of the souls within the planets were disrupted.  But Aeris had been the only person they had run across from their own world that they knew to have been resurrected.  Yuffie saddened as she thought how nice it would have been to see her mother.  'It's been so long and I was so small, would she even recognize me if we did meet?  Would I even recognize her?'  But she often consoled herself that they could have come across much nastier rebirths, like that _mad_man.  And she shuttered at that thought.  She made it a point to ask Cloud later if he'd seen anyone.

"Okay, Aeris," Yuffie began, "I know where you're coming from now.  But I still think you should mention something to Cloud if you're this confused.  Maybe marriage…is what you want, but maybe it's not time for that." She shifted her weight to the other leg this time after she had closed in on Aeris once more.  "You were with us for…such a short time, and I don't think you guys really _know_ each other well enough for that just yet."  At this, Yuffie looked down at her own fidgeting fingers, not sure at the emotions this news stirred within her.  "But I'm sure that outta all of us, you probably know him the best.  But I don't think the three months tops you spent with us were quite enough to get to know him.  He was pretty confused at the time," she sighed, "and didn't even know himself, really."  Yuffie put her hands at her side as she took in a deep breath, calming herself.  Looking into Aeris's eyes, she said, "I think you should spend more time with Cloud to see if that's what you really want."

Shaking her head slightly, Aeris replied, "But I know it's want I want already."

She was tiring of this, and just wanted to go think to herself.  She was finding that this conversation was invoking some things within _her_ that she didn't know.  That wouldn't have been so bad, but she had long ago made decisions that were now being invalidated with these recent occurrences.  She needed time to resort through her emotions.  "Fine," she nodded, "but just give Cloud the chance to get to know you better and you him.  I know there's a lot you don't know yet.  Like his favorite foods and all the rest of the trivial stuffs."  Yuffie straightened and made to walk past her.  "Aeris," she begged quietly, "…if you love him so much, would you at least show it?  Just, don't let Squall get that close again, because next time it may be Cloud's eyes that see you instead of mine."  And she left to think to herself, thinking as she slid down the ladder that she had come out of that confrontation so damned confused.

**********************

Cloud stretched in his seat, arms going up and behind his head as his torso arched into the air off the chair.  Both wings fully extended as he elongated his body in the act of relieving his sore muscles.  Slumping back into the chair, he yawned and didn't even bother to hide it with his hand.  He knew the others were elsewhere.  He smiled as he heard Cid do the same down the hall.  'He must be waking up,' Cloud thought.  It couldn't have come at a better time, too.  He was starting to get rather hungry.  'Musta been here a good five or six hours.  But Yuffie's visit had made the last hour and a half seem not so long. 

Cloud looked over his shoulder as he heard yet another yawn, this one louder as Cid folded back the curtain with one hand while the other rose above his head as he emerged from his napping chamber.  He turned in Cloud's direction briefly before making his way to the toilet chamber, as Cloud just turned around as waited for Cid to finish and return, which he did after about ten minutes.

"Who's takin' a shower?" Cid asked by way of greeting.  

Cloud shook his head.  "I dunno.  But whoever they are, they've been in there a long time."  At Cid's raised eyebrow and promise of oncoming rant in the way of the water recycler only working so fast, Cloud quickly added a reassurance.  "But whoever they are, they didn't actually start until about fifteen minutes ago."

Cid nodded, pleased that some inconsiderate fool wasn't one, making his baby work hard, and two, using up all the hot water.  "So, anything happen while I was out?"  Cloud shook his head and proceeded to give Cid a summary of all ship related activity while he'd been resting.

**********************

Squall wiped his face off before wiping the mirror.  He looked a lot better after that shower, but he sure didn't feel anymore relieved than when he had entered.  He just didn't know what he was going to do about Aeris.  He…didn't want to give up on her, but she had turned away from him.  But it's not like she had immediately from the time he began moving in close to her…  He was very confused.  'Maybe,' he thought, 'if I actually make contact with her, it'll be different… Alright,' he pepped talked himself, 'I'll just have to try harder the next time.'  And with that he began to dry himself off, almost anxious now to see her and try again.  As he finished with that, he realized he hadn't brought clean clothes to change into.  "Shit," he said to himself.  'Guess I'll have to go get them.'  He made his way over to the door, pausing as he got to the door to peak out.  Just as he was about to step out, his foot hit something.  Looking down, he noticed a carry-all bag…_his_ bag.  'Who would've…?'  Thinking he knew who, he pulled the bag back inside with him and chose some garments from it to wear.

He pushed all his other clothes out of the way into a small corner to deal with a little later along with his bag and exited the room.  He had just missed bumping into Aeris as she'd walked by, and both were startled.  "Aeris," he said softly, as she nodded demurely, with a small smile.  She held a plate in her hands, but what exactly had been on it he didn't know.  "What's that?" he said pointing to it.

"Oh, nothing, really," she answered.  "I was just bringing Cid and Cloud something to eat."  At the mention of their names, Squall turned to look down the hall to see the two speaking with each other.  Well, really it seemed Cid was doing all the talking in between bites with Cloud just eating quietly.  Squall just nodded slowly as he stepped closer to her, still half watching the other two.  Something was coming over him and he was feeling rather…cocky, brave, whatever.  He hadn't intended to try again this soon but with her so close by, he couldn't believe it _wasn't_ a sign.  "There's more in the kitchenette if you want some…" she trailed off as Squall's hand was once again on the wall, arm crossing by her face.  She remembered her and Yuffie's talk from not long ago and tried to move away from him.  

He'd been watching the two down the hall mostly, but he was aware of Aeris, knew the effect he was having on her.  And his hand shot up to catch her left shoulder before she could move any farther from him.  Putting his eyes on her, he roamed over her face, the features apprehensive.  "Thank you for bringing my bag to me," he said, watching her closely.  

She looked down at the plate she was clutching close to her chest, the blush diffused across her cheeks.  "It was nothing," she mumbled.  "I knew you forgot about it."

[Black Escaflowne – Escaflowne the Movie (1-19)]

Squall's smile held a mix of adoration and calculation as the hand on her shoulder slowly traversed its way across her skin to cup her chin.  "I knew it was you," he whispered to her.  As her blush increased, he had to stop to watch her, caught by her beauty again.  He gently held her head still as he moved in in another attempt to taste her lips, only to be halted as she shifted to peer down the hall.  He had distantly heard the voices bidding momentary partings, but had been absorbed by Aeris.  At the name she breathed, he pulled his head to look as well.  Strife was staring at him with narrowed eyes, and all Squall could do at the moment was to watch the other man with his hands still on Aeris.

**********************

Yuffie hadn't really sorted everything out to the extent that she'd wanted to.  But, damn she was hungry, and all this thinking wasn't really like her, which probably explained the massive headache she was suffering from at the moment.  Removing both hands from her head, she stood up and placed them on the small of her back as she stretched slightly.  Noticing Squall's gunblade laying where it'd fallen, she picked it up, shaking her head.  "Guess I'll bring this to him."  She stopped momentarily, and held it as she'd seen him do.  'It's not as heavy as some of Cloud's swords,' she grunted in thought, 'but it's not that light either.'  And after a few short swings, she trudged it along after her up the ladder.  

Finally reaching the top, she huffed as she lugged the 'blade up the rest of the way.  "Hey, Squall," she called non-too softly, unaware of his proximity, "I've brought your 'blade back to…"  Her sentence halted as she saw Squall and Aeris seemingly where they'd been before.  But something wasn't right.  It felt different this time.  What was it?  Yuffie shifted her weight to peer to the left of them, and dropped the gunblade right then and there.  The resounding clang didn't seem to have been heard by any in the hall, but she was aware of Cid's focus shifting to investigate the sound.  Boy, did he get a surprise.  Yuffie's eyes shot back and forth between Squall's and Cloud's positions, watching and waiting for Squall to back away.  Cloud looked upset, but that was understandable.  Those two were in a very precarious position.  Squall was facing away from her and she scooted closer to see what was on his face.  She was shocked by what she saw.

Squall's hand had loosened from her turning upon seeing the other man, but he felt strangely calm.  In fact, as he looked at the other man staring him down, he felt his resolve hardening and retook Aeris's chin in his hand again.  Looking at Cloud one last time, he turned her to face him as he deliberately moved in and pressed his lips firmly against hers, moving once against them before parting to stare the other man back in the eyes.  

They were all in shock.  Aeris stood there, mouth hanging open in disbelief, with Cid in much the same shape.  Cloud had been staring at the other man with narrowed eyes, but now, they had gone to mere slits, and the previous stare had become a glare of promised death.  Yuffie was horrified.  Rooted to her spot, all she could think of as Cloud launched himself down the hallway, fist outstretched, was: 'Holy shit, Squall.  What have you done… ?'


	8. Damn You

Revised: 9/11/04 Well, going back through and redoing FORMATTING issues because can't keep fugucking consistent. -.-

-----------------------------

--- Shift in PoV

' ' Thoughts

" " Dialogue

::: Flashback

/ Suggested Soundtrack

( ) Disc – Track Number

/--/ No Music, Silence

-----------------------------

Squall knew that such a direct challenge would not go unanswered, but it seemed he had underestimated the strength of that retaliation as he was only able to release Aeris before the fist connected with his jaw. Cloud had pushed off with a leg and a battle cry, flapping once to give him the momentum needed to reach Squall, to make him feel the pain but not to break anything just yet. Oh, no. That would come soon. Coming upon Squall, he embedded his left fist into the other man's shirt before his other planted itself in his face. He hadn't 'pulled his punch', he just simply didn't swing into it; only let the momentum from his jump transfer all the power. That way, Squall was still able to apologize for what he'd done, and maybe beg. Kind of hard to speak with a broken jaw. That he would save for later.

After connecting with the man's head, he flapped once more, carrying Squall along with the force of his punch. And bringing his other hand to join his clenched one, he thrust Squall along the remainder of the hall and into the wall at its end. At the same time, he opened his wings to halt his own flight and watched as the other man crashed into it. Yuffie jumped to the side to avoid being taken out with Squall, staring first in horror as his body slumped to the floor then to Cloud's pissed off face as he touched down disturbingly gracefully. She glanced over to Aeris and Cid who shared her expression of terrifying fright on their own features.

Squall's groan directed their focus to him as he shook his head and gazed dazedly to where Cloud's blurry form stood glaring at him. Hand on his forehead, he used his other arm to push himself off the floor, doing his best not to stumble and grimacing into his hand briefly before trying to square up and face Cloud in a somewhat normal matter. 'Damn,' Squall thought, 'it's gonna be a hard win, this one.' Removing his hand from his face and straightening, he quickly glanced at everyone gathered in the hall before returning to Cloud's huffing form. His attention was momentarily snagged by Yuffie as she shifted closer to Aeris and out of the line of fire.

Dragging his attention back to Cloud yet again, his eyes passed over something he didn't remember being there. 'Of course…Yuffie,' he deduced. He flipped back and forth between his 'blade and Cloud's outstretched wings, as much as the hallway would allow anyway, then gave one more look at Yuffie and Aeris, whom was now tucked under Aeris's arms, before dashing forward to grab his gunblade. Cloud's reaction was instantaneous as he gave chase and they both came to face each other in the viewing room.

Squall did an about-face as soon as he got a fair distance from the other man, raising his 'blade in defense and shifting his legs shoulder-length apart to support both him and his weapon.

He watched Cloud for some time, judging whether or not the man would make any more moves. But it seemed he wouldn't as long as he held his 'blade up. Squall took a deep breath and spoke to the man across from him, and the audience he knew was just outside the doorway, "I'll be a gentleman and allow you time to retrieve your weapon." All he could do as he finished talking was to breathe and try to calm his frayed nerves, which wasn't working as he looked into Cloud's scathing eyes.

"Be a gentleman!?" Cloud scoffed harshly. "Then you shoulda stayed the fuck away from her like I told you to!" he added taking a step forward, clenching and unclenching his fists at his sides.

/Liberi Fatali – FFVIII: Fithos Lusec Wecos Vinosec (1-01)/

At Cloud's advance, Squall had hiked the blade up and slid his foot forward to come to a half offensive, half defensive stance. His intention had been to threaten Cloud enough to get him to back down; wrong thing to do, he found, as a sinister smile leaked across the blonde's face. Cloud, however, couldn't stop it from spreading across his lips as he looked from Squall to his weapon and back again. He all but spat, "I don't need any weapon to kick your ass." His fact stated, Cloud surged forward.

Squall was surprised, sure enough, and did his best to bat Cloud away without cutting him in half. 'Fast,' was the single thought he struggled to complete. He had yet to even touch the other man with his 'blade. Cloud kept dodging his swings, scooting just to the side with chest parallel to the blade, never breaking eye contact…and never losing that smirk. Squall began to slash with more and more force as the fight drug on, no longer really caring if he actually cut the other man or not. He just wanted to wipe that smirk off and get the man farther away from him, and most of all, to get him to take this seriously. He wasn't sure when he realized that Cloud was only playing with him, but he knew when he had, he had become quite disturbed.

Cloud had been having fun since the beginning of this match. He'd been dying for Squall to give him a reason to resolve this once and for all, and now that he had it, he was gonna enjoy releasing all this pent up frustration. His wings had been tucked back behind him to avoid slowing him down or being caught by a lucky strike from Squall. He wouldn't miss them should something happen, but it would hurt. Best to save getting rid of them for a time when he wasn't preoccupied. He hadn't been particularly trying; it was so easy to dodge Squall's swings. And as such, he moved rhythmically in an established pattern, not yet deviating. He'd been systematically getting closer to the blade itself and the wielder's grip on it, teasing and taunting the other man with both actions and words. But he was growing tired of it. Squall had not proven to be any challenge, whatsoever.

And just when his smile and attention had started to slip did the older man surprise him. Squall himself had apparently grown tired of this routine and had pulled his gunblade to the side after his normal swing, catching Cloud fully in the chest with the width of the 'blade and throwing him back. Turning his head from the position it'd been whipped into, Cloud's features schooled and focused as a menacing glare on the other man. That had actually hurt. He didn't think Squall would've been able to get much force out of a blow with him being as close as he was, but no matter. He would just have to end this little game now. "This little charade has lost its appeal," he said, bored. "You are no match for me."

"Oh? I've just hit you, and hard. You're quite red from it. I think this is getting very interesting. 'No match', you say. You've yet to hit me," Squall taunted.

"I could have killed you at any time," was the vicious reply. And ignoring Squall's mocking grunt of disbelief and insolence, Cloud beat his wings and charged at him. Anticipating it, Squall brought his blade and arms above his head for a powerful swing, no doubt severely damaging if it connected. Which it wouldn't, Cloud knew. He was coming upon the man and the blade upon him, so Cloud put his plan into action. He fully opened his wings, parachuting to a quick stop and caught the blade between both hands, much to everyone's audibly stunned surprise. He offered the other man a mocking smile of his own in response to Squall's widened eyes before giving one last taunt.

"You're about to see just how outclassed you are." And with that, Cloud wrenched his arms to his right, sending the gunblade flying across the room to rendezvous with the wall and clatter to the ground. Cloud straightened and observed Squall as he gripped his undoubtedly dislocated left shoulder, his pained blue eyes peering at him through bangs and a grimace. Cloud's own blue eyes were narrowed as he stared in contempt at the pitiful warrior across from him.

"This time," he said, voice laced with venom, "there will be no holding back." And both were vaguely aware of a shout from across the room and a questioning look trying to make its way through the grimace on Squall's face before Cloud closed the small space between them with the right fist he'd swung fully from behind himself, dropping the other man instantly with a satisfying thud.

-----------------------------

/Still More Fighting – Final Fantasy VII OST (1-20)/

They had all been watching the developments play out from the relative safety of the hallway. Cid had remained fairly quiet, chewing on some object Yuffie would rather not identify, and watching the fight intensely. She figured it was because he couldn't bring himself to stop Cloud after such an adamant display of defiance from Squall, and to make sure nothing happened to his ship, of course. Aeris and Yuffie alternated between hugging each other and biting their nails. Well, Yuffie acquiesced, she was the only one really biting her nails. But nevertheless, they were all in suspense.

There was really no telling what Cloud would do or how far he'd take it. They didn't know him that well, after all. Sadly, their mutual journey hadn't allotted much time to get to know each other. Sure, they were together for months on end, but so much of it was spent thinking of ways to catch up and get ahead of him than to become close friends. That brought Yuffie's mind to the topic Aeris let slip of her and Cloud getting married. There's no way those two could know each other as well as any of the other members of the group did. She was killed so early in their journey, it wasn't possible. 'Or was it?' Yuffie thought, looking up at Aeris briefly before being drawn back to Cloud at the threat he uttered.

She looked back and forth between Cloud and Squall. It was true, Cloud could kill Squall easily. Surely Squall had to know that as well. If not from the start, then from the disgusting ease with which he'd been dodging Squall's attacks and the punches he'd been throwing, mostly stopping short of their mark. The few he let connect serving the sole purpose of goading Squall even further on. It was obvious to all of them, she was pretty sure, that Cloud wasn't really fighting. It's not that he wasn't serious about this, he was. Of that Yuffie had no doubt.

He was more than pissed off, and when Cloud was pissed, he was lethal. 'Not that he wasn't any other time,' she reflected. But he was more apt to, how you say…overkill. But the threat held more truth than Squall was willing to accept. If that wasn't the case, then he believed Cloud wouldn't really do it. Fearing for the safety of the semi-friend she'd come to care for as Cloud cocked his arm, Yuffie uttered a panicked plea from the haven of Aeris's embrace that she was sure was shared among all those on the sidelines, "Don't kill him, Cloud!"

Cloud brought his arm back to his side after the swing, narrowed eyes watching every movement as Squall's limp body fell to the plating. He assumed a posture that spoke of many feelings through his body language; anger, disgust, hate, and satisfaction, among others. He had heard her plea, knew Squall had too by the look his face had assumed just before being smashed into oblivion. 'Well, until he awakens,' Cloud thought, 'then he'll be in a great deal of fucking pain… But he deserves that and so much more!' he finished vehemently, his still clenched fist shaking next to his cocked hip.

He was pissed. Extremely pissed. And while that punch sure had felt good, it did little to relieve his emotions. He still felt tight, everywhere. His muscles, his chest, his head, he couldn't stop himself. He felt like a chocobo about to charge, flaring breath through the nostrils, claw scraping the ground, and all. That bastard was going to get it, and next time he would not allow him to escape through unconsciousness.

The others had come through the door after Squall stayed down, Cid standing with mouth agape and staring dumbly at Squall's body, hands on hips in his dumbfoundment. "Damn, Cloud," he said more to himself but knowing Cloud could hear him, "didn't think you'd drop him in one hit like that."

Looking aside at Cid crossly, he replied, "Yeah, well, it won't happen again." Turning to snap his head towards Squall, he announced his plans aloud. "I'll be sure to give him what he deserves in full," he finished. He'd been glaring at the other man's face, his lip slightly curled, when he became aware of movement directly to his right. Using his peripheral vision, he saw that it was Yuffie and Aeris, with the former stopping just a ways from him.

Aeris passed in front of him and gave him such a disapproving look. Cloud…didn't know why she was looking at him that way. His face fell into confusion, body relaxing and fists uncurling slightly as he looked into her eyes after briefly sweeping across her face. Seeing the obvious 'what?' written in his features, Aeris looked away from him with an exasperated sigh and continued on to Squall.

The pain that wrenched through him at that simple combination of actions demolished any and all attempts of brain function. The pain was forcing its way up through his chest and out his open mouth; it was so hard to breath. He was suddenly alone in existence, only black surrounded him and he looked up from his feet to stare blankly ahead. Their forms were beginning to slowly come into focus and he was reminded why he'd been thrown into this state. Abandoned…abandoned again… "Aeris--" he choked out in a pain-filled gasp, hand falling away from his unconscious attempt to reach her.

The motion jolted him from his stupor and his head flew to the side as his entire body tensed, stiff arms at his side once again ending in tight fists as the pain consumed him. He couldn't take this anymore and Yuffie placing a gentle hand on his arm in attempt to comfort him proved to be the final undoing. He roughly shook her off and fled the room, trying the keep the tears escaping from his tightly squeezed eyelids hidden, lest he be shamed more.

Yuffie gave a quiet breath of surprise at Cloud's retreat. 'But what should I have expected.' She made eye contact with Cid as he, too, turned from watching the defeated warrior flee. Both of their faces shared a look of pity before Cid nodded once to her, dismissing her. Yuffie nodded back in acknowledgement and took off after Cloud. If Aeris wasn't gonna comfort her man, then Yuffie would. 'How could she do that to him?' Yuffie thought as she slid down the rails to the lower level. 'Even I understand why he was so upset. He had every right to be.' She shook her head in further disbelief at Aeris's actions. 'What is she thinking!?'

Looking around, she tried to find where he was. It was much harder than she thought. He wasn't making any noise whatsoever. 'He can certainly hide when he wants to,' Yuffie thought dejectedly. Deciding to give her eyes a little more time to adjust to the lowered light level, she slowly moved forward. Peering as closely as she could between stacks of crates looking for Cloud, she jumped and instinctively took a defensive stance, one hand automatically flying back to grab the shuriken that wasn't there as a very loud crash-type noise exploded in the dark room.

She remained in that position as she searched the darkness for the source of the sound and/or cause of it. Her eyes came across Cloud's silhouette, backlit from the smaller viewport behind, right arm extended into the stack of crates in front of him. She slowly relaxed and began to stand upright, quickening as she watched him spin and fall to the floor, slinking between the stacks.

Yuffie became slightly panicked as she lost him. He was completely engulfed in the shadows and all she had to go by were the shadows cast by the crate debris on the floor. She was thankful the viewport was there, no matter how small it may have been. That dim light was all she had. Intellectually, she knew there had to be lighting down here, but the hell if she knew where it was. So she carefully approached the results of Cloud's frustration, peering just to the left of where he'd been standing. There was only black. If he was in there, the deep shadows had swallowed all hints of him. She didn't know how far back this opening went; there could be a path all the way to the end of the ship, for all she knew. So she walked forward slowly, one careful step after another until her foot hit something. She thought it might have been his boot.

/Kogestu Souya – Juuni Kokki Ending Single (1-2)/

"Cloud?" she voiced softly, not wanting to disturb the quiet of the room. Slowly kneeling, she braced herself on her hand while reaching out with her right. She came into contact with his hair, as he had lifted his head somewhat, with slitted eyes peering at her. From the height her hand had been at, Yuffie had deduced that Cloud had probably been ducking his head under crossed arms atop his knees. He wasn't that short. She knew what being that short was like and he wasn't it. The pale blue light that flooded forth from even his narrowed eyes was enough to confirm her previous thought.

"Cloud," she voiced more softly this time, sitting back on her heels with hands in her lap and gazing at the light coming from his eyes. That's all she could look at; it was the only tangible form visible to her average eyes. "I'm…here for you at least, if you don't want to talk," she put out as gently as she could, even though she couldn't think of any way to phrase it that wouldn't be awkward to say. The shifting of his eyes away from her was an answer in itself, and she thought they would remain in silence until he did something that took her completely off guard. The tiny sniffle was surely not meant to be heard, and it was very faint, but that was definitely what she'd heard.

She surged forward to place her hands on his arms, her face opening up completely to him. He was hurting greatly and she wanted to comfort him, ease his pain, reassure him if she had to. He had fully lifted his head and opened his eyes, looking her straight on. It was only he that was in the shadows and the star light illuminated Yuffie's eyes much in the same way that Cloud's did his darkened space, only to a lesser degree. He could undoubtedly see the earnestness in her bared eyes, but she was unable to read the emotions held within his. His arms shifted and a hand was placed atop one of hers. Amazed at this step, Yuffie squeezed his arm, telling him that it was okay, whatever it was he was thinking or maybe just everything in general.

The blue light dimmed briefly as he looked down then back to her face, weighing some decision. He shifted further, arms falling from his knees and a leg laying flat against the deck. He was opening up to her, or starting to. Yuffie had had to move forward a bit to keep her hands on his arms. She knew it was the physical contact doing the work more than her words. Neither moved for a short while and Yuffie thought it would be up to her to make the next move when Cloud surprised her. He'd pushed off with the still-propped leg and embraced her, arms under hers to enfold her from behind as he buried his head into her shoulder. Yuffie's reactions were natural, motherly perhaps. But then again, she was female and her first instinct was to protect and nurture, things Cloud was very much in need of at the moment. Her right hand stroked his hair as she rested her head against his, and the left simply held him as he began his cleansing.

She had waited a short time after his intermittent sniffles and hiccups of stress ceased before turning her head to peer at the face that was now visible. Cloud was facing the viewport, probably looking beyond it, eyes half lidded and body slumped against her, fully relaxed. Looking down, she was able to see the drying tear tracks on the cheek highlighted by the pale light. The sight moved Yuffie in a way she couldn't describe, both painful and yet somehow, something else entirely. She moved her hand through his hair once more, watching as his eyes closed for a brief moment before barely opening again.

But at least this time it was in reprieve and not some other negative emotion. Still occasionally stroking his hair and enjoying just about everything of this circumstance, Yuffie voiced the commanding thought that had been troubling her since this morning. "Cloud," she said softly, gently, and as he made a silent noise of acknowledgement, she continued. "I don't think you should marry Aeris," she said in that same quiet tone, looking out at the stars with hand raking through his tresses. "…At least not yet."

He didn't say anything right away, and Yuffie began to fear that the wonderful companionable silence had been shattered until she felt him inhale and sigh out his thought, body remaining perfectly tranquil as his whispered his doubt, "I don't think I should either." And as Cloud was not going to leave this newfound haven of peace and rest, he simply lay there with closed eyes, cradled in Yuffie's lap and bathed in the faint glow of starlight.

-----------------------------

That's all for now.

Fixed display issue AGAIN. Damn keeps changing things and it's messing up my formatting. I have to keep going through and manually changing this crap. -.- So now the paragraphs should stay smaller and hopefully the time divisions will stay in place, now! Angry author!


	9. Frustration and Progression

I'd just like to say this is rated "R" for a reason folks. .

-----------------------------

--- Shift in PoV

' ' Thoughts

" " Dialogue

::: Flashback

/ Suggested Soundtrack

( ) Disc – Track Number

/--/ No Music, Silence

-----------------------------

/Tell Me – FFVIII OST (1-17)/

Aeris knew he was upset, but knew he would understand why she had to do this. She was aware of Cid following her to within a short distance of where he lay, watching over her shoulder. Kneeling beside him, Aeris carefully lifted Squall's heavy form so that she was able to cradle him in her right arm, taking care not to jostle him too much. But despite her care, he had begun to stir and she kept still, not wishing to encourage anything from him. She knew he would try to say something if he figured out where he was before she could heal his injuries, and that would be _quite_ painful for Squall; something she was trying to spare him. But the inevitable happened and he began to open his eyes. Turning his head to view her, Aeris could see the thought in his eyes and tried to stop him before it was too late.

"No, Squall!" she said. "Don't try to--!" His head flew back, and while he was unable to articulate his pain through words, the formless guttural scream did it well enough. It did sound particularly pained, and while she noticed Cid's agreement by way of his cringe, she knew it was no where near the level Cloud had faced earlier. And for that, she was thankful. She didn't want to think Cloud would actually do someone that much harm over such a ridiculous thing…yet. "…talk," she finished in a quieter voice.

His beautiful blue eyes were locked onto hers as she stroked the side of his face with her left hand; the glistening tear tracks running sideways down his face and the intensity of his eyes the only physical sign he could give of his pain. She had heard that that was one of the most painful non-lethal injuries that could be sustained. And from what she could see in Squall, that seemed so. Calmly caressing his cheek, she spoke, "Let me heal you first, hmm?" And giving her trademark smile with accompanying closed eyes, she projected outward through her hand.

Squall could feel warmth flowing into his cheek from the person across from him. It entered through his cheekbone and traveled the length of his jaw, wrapping around his chin to hook back the other way, ending when it reached the joint on the other side. There, the healing wave spidered out, following all the flaming caverns he could feel in his face and down his neck to leave a cooling menthol mist in its wake. His eyes softened as the pain was dispelled and he sat up. Looking to Aeris as she sat back slightly herself, his own hand came up to rub his jaw. "Man," he started, with the smallest of sheepish smiles, "felt like he broke my jaw." The barely classifiable, slightly bitter chuckle died quickly when he saw Aeris look away briefly before meeting his eyes again.

"He did," she said, looking away again to Cid, then to a far off corner.

"Oh." His hand had paused in its soothing, but resumed haltingly as he looked away in thought.

"Shattered it, actually," she said as she slowly pushed up from the floor, lightly brushing her skirt.

"Yeah! We could hear every, single, ricocheting piece from even over there," Cid said with a disgustingly smug face. "You're lucky your neck didn't snap from the force."

He had jumped in a little too enthusiastically for Squall's tastes and he scowled, thinking as he got up, 'No wonder it hurt so much. I've never felt pain like that before…' Though he did realize the truth in Cid's statement, however reluctant he was to acknowledge it. The hand that had stilled against his face trailed to his chin before dropping away altogether, arm falling cross-wise his chest to hang by his side, his eyes once again finding Aeris.

Scowling to Cid at his remark, Aeris eased her face into one of seriousness as she let her hands slide from the fabric of her dress on one last brush, meeting Squall's open eyes. "Please, Squall," she said, voice sad and worried with eyes pleading, "don't challenge him like that."

Squall's eyebrows drew together. "What do you mean?"

She sighed softly, undecided on whether Squall was just playing dumb or really didn't know… "I mean physical combat," she said meeting his eyes. "You…should've known you wouldn't have been able to…beat him. Surely, you _had_ to have known that," came the quiet whisper. "You've seen him fight…"

Squall was stunned, really. How had she known that? Had Yuffie told her? 'Most likely,' he thought. What was he supposed to tell her? That he knew Cloud was a stupendous fighter? That he didn't think Cloud would have been that difficult an opponent? That he didn't think he'd go that far nor have that much strength? …He didn't know _what_ to say, to tell her, other than that he had obviously severely underestimated the man, perhaps misjudged him, as well. He really _didn't_ think Cloud would have been that…well, good. It hurt his warrior pride to admit that he'd just been, how did Yuffie phrase such overwhelming defeats…spanked.

As for the misjudged factor, he really didn't believe Cloud would have fought back so…readily, or fiercely. The experience had taught Squall that he really knew _nothing_ about the other man. All his perceived insights were…false? Inaccurate? Whatever they were, he knew that the other man was completely closed to him. And he was also finding that as this flight continued or neared its end, however one chose to look at it, that he knew very little about Aeris herself.

But whatever may be, he must've taken too long in his ponderings because Aeris broke him from his unknowingly runaway train of thought. "I don't think even I will be able to save you next time, Squall. So please, just…let him have his way," she implored softly, head bowed over fidgeting fingers. "Or I'm afraid that something worse will occur if this happens again."

'The audacity of that girl!' Squall thought. How could she stand there and say that to him when she hadn't exactly pushed him away! The clenched fist began to slacken as he really thought, on how he'd acted and how Aeris had. While she hadn't pushed him away, she hadn't…encouraged him, either. He didn't think so, at least. She had just _stood_ there, not encouraging him to continue. Squall became frustrated. She was so confusing! By remaining unresponsive, he couldn't tell if she liked it or not. Maybe she _did_ like it, but it was unwelcomed…? He shook his head. He didn't know _what_ to make of this, really. But he did know that he was lost, and in deeper than he knew how to get out. Squall sighed, his frustration partially leaving him, and said quietly, "And if I refuse?"

The rare sight of Aeris's angered face turned up to his, tense arms shooting downwards and frustrated breath leaving her. "Don't be stupid!" she said, upset eyes glaring at him. "He said he could kill you and he can!" She huffed again before continuing. "And don't think he won't! You wouldn't be the first person he's killed," she ended somewhat more quietly than when she had begun.

Squall couldn't stop the disbelief at her statement from widening his eyes. "He's…killed because of something like this?"

Sighing again in exasperation, though with what or whom she didn't know, Aeris brought both hands to rub at her face. "No, that's not what I meant…not for something like this." Calming herself with a few deep breaths, she looked over to Cid who was still watching all of this with the acute senses of a town gossip. "But he has killed before, and not just the few stray guards here and there." She looked Squall in the eye as her body remained mostly towards the window.

"I just want you to be aware of what he's capable of. Don't think you're safe just because you watched after me for a time." Looking into her eyes as she talked, Squall knew she was serious. "And while he's grateful for that, and he is," she emphasized, "it does not absolve you from your recent…transgressions." Her eyes were strangely alight, intense with her passionate feelings.

Fuck, he was confused…and pissed. Holding up a hand to her and closing his eyes as he thought, he voiced them to her. "Wait. Wait just a damned minute here," he said, hand waving slightly. "You're telling me that you've had nothing to do with this?" The scorn in his eyes was impossible to miss. "You're just as much at fault as I am, Aeris," he hissed. She bowed her head, indicating that she knew that to be true. "If you felt I was '_transgressing_'," he said vehemently, "then you should have _done_ something to _stop_ it!" Ironically, for as upset as he was, he didn't yell. His voice had maintained that normal volume, something he wasn't sure how he was doing. He was so hurt…and upset. How could she just _turn_ on him like that?

"I know," she started, somewhat timidly, of all things, Squall thought. "I…should have done something, said something. But what?" she said, looking up at him with those beautiful eyes. "How could I push away something I wanted when I didn't know if what I'd lost was ever coming back?" He swore he could see the beginnings of tears in her eyes… Cid had shifted at that statement, grimacing and looking away. The movement had drawn Squall's attention shortly before he angrily refocused on Aeris and the argument at hand. "I was so happy to feel wanted like that again that I became lost in the feelings invoked within me. I didn't, couldn't push that away when it looked like he was lost to me."

The previously floating hand had been resting on his hip, and he brought that up to his face as he grimaced. The fingers had begun to dig into his forehead just before the bitter chuckle evolved into a full blown laugh. "A replacement," he snorted contemptuously. "A fucking replacement." He looked at her from behind his hand, eyes peering out from above his fingertips. "That's all I was to you, a fucking _toy_ while _he_ was _gone_!" He expelled his resentment through another laugh, holding his head. "I don't believe this… I really don't believe this…"

"You weren't, Squall," she said seriously, watching him and waiting to catch his eyes when he once more looked at her.

"Wasn't what?" he hissed. "Wasn't _him_? Is that it?" He flopped his arm to his side in disgust; with her, with himself, with the situation he now found himself in. "Yeah, I know that. You're all making that very clear to me."

"That's not what I meant, and you know it," she said with a glare. "You both can be so stubborn at times," she reflected as her expression gained a more pouting aspect. "Look," she began, calming her voice and herself, "I…promise you that it hadn't been like that…at that time. But when he just suddenly came back from the--from wherever he was," here her hands once again occupied themselves, "I…yeah. That's…what you became, I guess."

She looked up at him, sorrow written into every little crease on her face; around her eyes, her dazzling mouth, her forehead. "And for that, I'm sorry. How ever unintentional it was, I never meant for that to happen. And all I can say is 'I'm sorry', Squall." Her entire demeanor softened with regret and guilt as she added, "I know it's not enough, but that's all I can give you, now."

-----------------------------

Yuffie couldn't move even if she had wanted to. She couldn't leave Cloud like this, not when he looked like he did; so peaceful and relaxed, for once. And she hadn't wanted to leave him, anyway. Never on their journey had he looked like this. Not while she was in his party, at least. There had been a few times where he and Aeris had been separated from the others, so she didn't know. There's so much that could have happened between them, even though their separations never lasted long, really. But I guess she had just thought it to be like any of the other groups when they were sectioned off from the core. Cloud and Aeris weren't the only ones to be isolated at times, oh no. In fact, it happened way too often. Sometimes in remote locations where even the PHS's signal failed to transmit and they were forced to wait until they could travel further along and try again.

She loved the feel of his hair, the weight of his head on her lap, the movement of his breathing… Yuffie sighed. This was perfect, even if the circumstances leading up to it weren't. She hugged him with her left arm a little more and felt more than heard the noise he made, the vibrations from his throat traveling up her leg, making her shiver. 'Damn, the man was sexy!' she thought gleefully, and squeezed him even more.

But her delirious moment was interrupted as she felt the presence of someone standing not too far from her. Looking over to them, Yuffie's adjusted eyes could make out some of the person. And from the way they were standing and the light that revealed some of the footwear, she sighed in disappointment as she saw it was Aeris. 'There goes my happy moment,' she thought dejectedly, pulling away from Cloud a bit and sitting up. She looked down at Cloud's peaceful, sleeplike face once more before craning her neck up to look at Aeris's. "What do you want?" she asked quietly.

Taken aback at the question and her tone, Aeris inquired bewilderedly, "…What?"

"I said," Yuffie sighed, "what do you want?"

Aeris's eyebrows drew together in thought. She wasn't sure she liked the way Yuffie was acting. It was almost like the younger girl was talking _down_ to her. "I…just wanted to talk with Cloud," she said vaguely. Not that she didn't like Yuffie or was upset with her, there were just some things that she wanted to remain between Cloud and herself.

"And why should I let you?" Yuffie asked, quietly defiant. She noticed the shock on the older woman's face and took some amount of pleasure from that. She didn't know why, but she guessed she was looking at this as a sort of payback for hurting Cloud earlier.

"Because," she started with a touch of indignity, "I want to."

"Well, you shoulda done that first, then, instead of walking over to Squall!" Yuffie hissed back quietly. "Do you know how much you hurt him!?" She looked away in frustration but turned back to Aeris to vent the rest of her anger. "Damnit, Aeris, I've _never_ seen him cry before! Never even _heard_ of it from him. That's unthinkable." To drive this last point home, Yuffie met the green eyes above her, telling her how mad she was at Aeris for this. "And _you_ did that to him. _You_ did, Aeris. Do you even realize the implications behind that?" she asked with a shake of her head.

Yuffie knew what it meant, and was pretty sure Aeris was aware of the level of betrayal Cloud read from her, especially now that she knew of his reaction. "Why should I let you?" Yuffie huffed, looking out into the stars. "You obviously didn't think it was important earlier."

"Yuffie."

Aeris's tone was stern and actually commanding, two qualities Yuffie'd never heard from her before. Sighing, she glanced at Cloud briefly from the viewport. She saw that he'd been listening, which was illustrated by his partially opened eyes. "And what if I won't let you," she asked rhetorically as Cloud's eyes looked up to hers before returning to stare out the window. Still watching Cloud's face, Yuffie spoke again, "Fine. But only if he wants to." Cloud said nothing but closed his eyes and barely nodded his head.

The only movement Yuffie could discern was that the slow blinking of his eyes was the nod itself. Sighing in defeat, she gave Cloud's head one last pat to let him know she would move. Letting him sit halfway up first, she withdrew her legs and pushed herself up, shaking them a little to get the blood circulating a bit faster. Walking along, she stopped next to Aeris and eyed her, letting her silent glare do all the talking. Then she continued on her way and up the ladder none too quietly, heavy shoes clunking and hands slapping on each rung.

/The Successor – FFVIII OST (4-10)/

Turning her head from watching Yuffie go up, Aeris looked to Cloud, his frame still propped up by his right arm, the position he'd been in since he lifted away from Yuffie. The weak glow from the window backlit everything about him, but only so very faintly. His crown of hair was just glowing at its very edges, and his wings' own edges only hinted at as the left hugged close to the body and the right hid his shoulder from her. She couldn't decide if she should approach any closer or not. He hadn't turned or even looked in her direction at all. And he didn't exactly have that welcoming air about him that she was used to feeling; something she knew was reserved for her.

"Cloud," she voiced softly, waiting. No reaction. 'Okay,' she thought, 'he's _really_ upset.' She moved the few steps forward required to place her hand on his hidden shoulder, her bare feet padding lightly. But just as she would have connected with it, he suddenly moved. She knew the action for what it was; he had used the pretense of standing to avoid her touch. Even now he wouldn't look at her, staring forward with arms crossed. So she turned to face the viewport as she stood beside him, her own hands clasped in front of her, intending to give him some more time. Still looking at the stars, she said just as quietly as before, "You know why I had to go to him." And she turned her head only enough to watch Cloud's reaction.

He had 'tched' and threw his head to the side away from her, bringing it forward-facing again with the angry snarl still on his face. "Damnit, I know that! I know why! But it still hurt!" Aeris looked down at her clasped hands, her feet, then back to gazing at Cloud from the side. Head swaying around a bit as the pain he still felt made its way onto his face, Cloud's hands planted themselves on his hips. "Damnit, Aeris, I…" Trailing off, he brought his right hand up to bury his face in it. Sliding it down to rest momentarily over his mouth, he let his completed thought be muffled, "I _love_ you." His fingers then moved to rub at his eyes.

Dropping his hand away from his face, he brought his other up to once again intertwine his arms across his naked chest. "And just having you walk away from me like that for…for…for _him_, hurt," his quietly pained voice said as he looked off to his left, away from her. His hands moved slowly up and down his biceps, as if the slight chill of the room bothered him. "You're the only person who could have hurt me like that," he said softly, hands rubbing at his arms insecurely, still refusing to show his face to her. "And the last I thought ever would," was the even quieter tail end.

Aeris's own face scrunched up at that comment. She had known she'd had that power. A guy like Cloud doesn't just give himself fully to anyone, and the girl on the receiving end almost _always_ knows exactly what she holds. And she had known…but she'd thought he would have taken it better than this. Coming to stand in front of him, she placed her hands on his arm, fingertips resting on the folded one underneath. She stared at her fingers as they sat on his hard forearms and squeezed a little; partly to feel how hard they really were and partly to try and get him to look at her. They really were quite solid, but she knew they had to be from his swords.

He didn't, however, look at her, so she had resorted to softly saying his name once more. And when that failed to make him turn, she had to stop herself from stamping her foot and the slight pout from taking over. "Come on, Cloud," she said, unable to keep the motherly exasperation out of her voice, "you're beginning to act like a child." That had gotten his attention, and he'd turned to give her an indignant glare, only softening at the combination of her closeness and the soothing motions of her hands on his arms, but only after a time.

Watching her fingers, she slowly let them begin to crawl up his chest, peeking up at his expression. He was watching her a bit warily, unsure of what she was up to. She returned to watching her fingers play their way to his neck, traversing up its side and then smoothly sailing down his jaw to grab his chin. His eyes were locked on her and she met them briefly before firmly securing him. Standing on the balls of her feet, she stretched up as she pulled his face down, pressing against his unresponsive lips. Standing again, she puffed out an annoyed breath and looked up at Cloud. His eyes were unreadable, but his body posture still spoke of his unrelenting countenance, and she knew a simple kiss was not going to dissuade him or make amends.

She reassumed her position and touched his chin this time, letting it linger after barely pursing. She then moved just to the right and planted another. As she continued to trace the path her fingers had traveled, she could feel the muscle there first tighten and then began to ease as she progressed. The point of joining at the end of her trail, just before she would have hit his ear, seemed to be the magic spot. Because as soon as she planted the feather-like touch, the arms that had been slowly loosening fell away completely to grab her own upper limbs, and she braced against his chest as he turned into her, kissing the identical place on her. It was only so long before both found each other's lips, and everything escalated downhill, or _up_hill, from there.

They were kneeling on the floor so suddenly that neither had time to realize who caught whom and who was sitting on whom. Aeris was more on Cloud than the floor and Cloud was too busy trying to inhale her through his mouth while pulling her the rest of the way in with the arm around her shoulders than to pay attention to anything else. His body was beyond his control now, and the right arm had her halfway to the floor from their sitting position before he'd separated his mouth from hers.

Cloud pulled back, holding himself up by his right arm, hand planted solidly on the floor next to her waist. He wanted to look at her from here, just for a moment. He wanted to remember the passion in her eyes, the desire, the unsure and nervous biting of her lip as she looked up from underneath him. But his eyes must have had their fill of it because he couldn't stop them from trailing down her body, returning to her face only after they had reached the end of her trail at his own hip.

He moved in so very slowly, first resting on his elbow then using his chest to direct her where he wanted her, flat on the floor. But as he watched the oncoming of his goal, she had so completely surprised him by turning her head to the side, baring her neck to him. Cloud whimpered. 'Such a submissive act,' he thought, mind clouded with lust, body lecherous intentions, and vice versa. And the labored, anxious exhalation forced out of his lungs at that action rammed into that bare skin.

The heated, emotion-laced breath caused Aeris to jerk her left arm back, smacking into his own right arm, digging her fingers into his bicep as she involuntarily arched up into him. The continuing attention he then gave to her offered skin only made her dig in farther as she tried to get a grip on her emotions, body, or maybe just him. He would have moved on to other areas, but her other hand gnarled in his hair kept him from moving as soon as the intention struck him, and he'd lavished her some more.

He eventually kissed and sucked his way along her jaw line to once again take her lips for his own. Still leaning solely on that right elbow, he brought up that hand to cradle her head as he continually pushed and dived and worked on and in her mouth, reaching everywhere he could. The arching of her body so sharply into his was driving him _insane_! He had to do something about that…! Placing his left hand on her hip, he –froze. Push down or pull up!? His mind warred with his loins and he knew which would win if this kept up. But the next plunge into her mouth and resulting arch made his decision, and as her hip pushed against his once more, the previously indecisive hand grabbed tightly and forcefully pulled her into him.

As her mouth and hands remained occupied with him, his slightly freer hand began its wandering over the curve of her hip, burdened with intent. Reaching to just above her knee, his hand felt as if it had traveled far enough and refused to wait any longer. So bunching up the lightly colored fabric, his hand pushed it out of its way. Only when there was no longer anything between it and her skin did it feel inclined to journey once more, and so it did.

Gliding along the soft and rounded form of her leg, it came to rest once more atop her hip, this time unhindered by the cloth even as it draped over it. Hidden by her dress, his hand had somehow gained newfound courage and proceeded to pull at her even more intensely, the fingers curving around the bone there and sinking into the wonderful softness of her cheek as his own hips thrust singly into hers. Repeated instances like this… The heat building there needed to be dealt with **_now_**.

Cloud had been completely covering her, and once he severed their mouths, he moved to lean on his elbow again. He wasn't thinking at all, not with his brain, and the heady look that could be seen from under his half-lidded eyes and felt through his ragged breath were proof enough of that. He was distantly aware of her expression; wonderment, a bit of fear that he'd pull further away and leave her in this torture. But it was the _need_ from her that he was all too acutely aware of, and to frustrate matters, his own treacherous body returned it fully.

'Yes…dealt with,' was the fragmented thought. Glancing down her body to where his hand still pressed her into him, the not so unknown solution pulsed within him. He exhaled roughly as he pressed his lips to hers quickly and would have been amused as he warded off her answering tongue, but he was too far gone to feel anything other than what he was attempting to reach.

Looking up into her eyes, he slid along her body and maneuvered his left leg between hers. Sitting upright a bit more, he grabbed her other hip, lifting her so that he could slide the remaining leg under as well, propping her at a most enticing angle on his lap. She had placed her feet flat against the floor and her bent legs lightly hugged him, but they were begging for at least one pass of momentary attention. His eyes lingered on hers a bit longer, but jumped down to watch his hands as he slid them down her legs and up towards his sides.

Hands reaching the apex of her knees, he moved them back up, fingers diving under the cloth that still stubbornly clung to them, pushing it along and bunching it around her hips. His eyes were _full_, and he looked to hers one last time, searching for any disagreement. He knew, somewhere in his jumbled head, that this was the last chance out. And finding nothing foreboding across from him, the fingers that had already buried themselves under the straps, wrapped around them and pulled.

-----------------------------

/--/

Yuffie had been standing guard, so to speak, in front of the ladder chute. _Just_ to make sure no untimely interruptions were made, from a certain storm or cigarette. While she was extremely pissed at Aeris for earlier, she knew that…Cloud still loved her, so she had to give them the chance to repair the damage. And like her mentor had said, a healthy relationship has fights. And as long as they make up, it will only become stronger. She sighed, somewhat dejectedly. It really was better that they resolve this right away before it became too deep, she knew. But Yuffie herself felt as if Aeris had betrayed her, too, in some way, by hurting Cloud like that. Although, she had no reason _why_ she might feel that…

Thinking that this should have been enough time for them to mend the earlier tear, Yuffie decided to do a quick check up on them. 'They really should have come up by now,' she knew. She was _far_ too lazy to actually go back down that ladder for only a simple check. So employing her shinobi skills, she climbed onto it and descended until she would be able to see around the chute hood. Hooking her knees around a rung, she let herself fall backwards. She didn't fail to impress herself with her mad shinobi skills, she told herself; she could see just under the metal hood encircling the ladder. It was there to prevent people from being thrown from the ladder in an emergency. But in this case, it just slightly hindered her efforts to be lazy.

Blinking a few times to force her eyes to adjust, she looked towards the viewport, the last place she had seen them, and just about fell off the ladder, hood or not. Struggling to hook the other leg back around the rung, she jerked herself up pretty damned fast, abs bitching at the effort, and scrambled back to her station. She hugged herself, embarrassed, and tried to force the blush from her face and the sight from her mind. But she found that both were proving hard to do. For such a short time, the scene had burned itself pretty damned deeply into her mind. And the resulting action of continually _seeing_ that over and over and in such detail only made the blush brighter. 'How could there be so much detail when there had been practically no light?!?!?' she asked disgustedly. But no matter which way she went about it, the image of their backlit black shapes was all too clear.

They had to have both been kneeling, with an opposing Aeris leaning sharply away from Cloud. Her hands had been gripping his shoulders, at least she thought so. All she was sure of were the shadows of arms locked straight as Aeris supported her reclining form by holding onto Cloud, head and hair thrown back. When Yuffie thought about how that position could be physically possible, she had to put Aeris… above Cloud, so he could sit between her legs and have the freedom of movement to—'**_Iyada!!!!_**' she screamed mentally, hands holding her head as she shook it vigorously back and forth.

'Still,' she speculated more cautiously, 'that had to have been what he was doing. That region _had_ been moving rather… obviously,' she remembered through a slew of emotions. But while most of that experience held varying degrees of discomfort for her, Yuffie did have to admit she loved the image of Cloud's silhouette with his wings back like that… If only they hadn't been doing what they were doing, she would have held that as a precious memory.

Squall came out from the kitchenette just off to her left and up a few paces. Seeing his brooding posture, Yuffie's senses heightened as her eyes narrowed. 'Trouble,' she knew. 'Well, as long as he turns down the other—Nooooooo! Damnit!' She cursed to herself. But at least this would temporarily distract her mind from _other_ matters. 'He _would_ come this way!'

She crossed her arms and puffed out her chest, throwing her head back as she'd seen her father do so many times, trying to come across as intimidating. Something she knew was impossible with only being barely over five feet. And as Squall finally got close enough to even notice she was there, 'almost crushing the promising ninja super star soon to be queen of the world insert evil mental laugh under his foot,' she ranted to herself, her eyes strained upward, delivering a menacing glare. "Yes?" she asked commandingly.

After overcoming his surprise of the sudden emergence of Yuffie from practically underfoot, his mood had dampened quickly. He was _not_ in the mood for her antics now. "Move."

Yuffie's eyes narrowed a tad more. She could read his voice quite well, but alas, even eye candy, here, was _not_ getting past her. Not until those two came up…if they _did_ tonight. "You don't want to go down there," she warned him, although unknowingly to Squall.

Squall snorted quietly, temper flaring. "Yes, I _do_. Now _move_," he grumbled, ready to smack her out of his way if he had to. He would be 'returned' in several hours, and he didn't want to leave with this between them. He _had_ to see Aeris now, if only to apologize, since he now knew wasn't going to win her from…Cloud.

Yuffie's voice took on a tone of condescendence. "I told ya you don't," she huffed, shaking her head.

Squall was upset, now. She had pushed his already low tolerance beyond its limit, and he'd had enough. "Damnit, Yuffie," he said as he placed a hand on her shoulder, gathering force to shove. "**_Move_**!"

And just as he was about to remove the obstruction, it spoke. "Fine, then," she relented darkly, "have it _your_ way." Looking up to stare him down, 'yeah right,' she thought, she informed him, "You're _not_ getting through. How about _that_?"

At Squall's infuriated growl and encroaching shove, Yuffie grabbed his offending hand with both of hers. She then pulled his arm further across his chest and past the shoulder he'd grabbed, setting him off balance. With him teetering and trying to regain his footing, he was an open target. But she didn't really wanna hurt him and it wasn't necessary yet, so she would settle for movements designed to discourage him. His arm still under her control, Yuffie yanked even harder and further, pulling up at the right time, forcing him to either flip with the motion or suffer a broken arm. 'Don't get up, Squall. Don't get up.' She knew the mental command was futile.

If anything, Squall was a fighter and would fight even when he was down. And true to her expectations, he slowly rose, rubbing his shoulder. Yuffie suddenly remembered that was the one Cloud had dislocated earlier. 'Man,' she thought, stunned, 'I bet _he_ woulda been pissed if I'd gone ahead and broken it.' The glare currently directed at her was enough to make her second-guess her actions, but she was saved from further penalties as Cloud emerged behind her, thank Da Chao. She thankfully moved out of the way and turned to face him. His back was to her as he was currently helping Aeris step up and out of the chute. But her mouth fell all the way open and her body assumed her 'what the fuck happened to you' pose upon his turning around.

His chest was marred with…_scratches_! And they were _deep_! And still very new, too, for she could see they still glistened with the distinction freshly drawn blood had. It almost looks like someone had flattened their hands against him and just clawed inward…!!! Yuffie's mind went numb as she put the image from before and the proof in front of her together. When she had seen Aeris's arms out like that, and now the marks on Cloud… _She_ had done this! Looking from Aeris to Cloud's chest, to his face, she repeated it again, the second time her and Cloud's eyes meeting.

A definite blush rose to his cheeks and he jerked his ahead away to blankly stare down the hall. But Yuffie had seen just what was in those eyes. Everything left unfinished from before not only lingered there, but remained insatiated. But, as if by magic, he suddenly became aware of Squall and the subject was forgotten, for now. Squall, for his part, had put the puzzle together, it seemed, without even _needing_ the help of the semi-disturbing images. He looked like he was about ready to puke right there all over all of them. But being the fighter Yuffie knew him to be, he somehow managed to keep it all down.

Forcing back everything unpleasant that had just made itself known to him, Squall opened his eyes once more and turned to Aeris. "I want to speak with you," he said as calmly and undisgustedly as he could, eyes begging of her. He knew that while she had wanted that, the knowledge of just what had happened between the two of them and what that meant _Cloud_ had done repulsed him to no end. But the other man would not have it, and stepped in to prevent any agreement she may have given, placing an arm between them and grasping her shoulder.

"We're currently busy, sorry," Cloud delivered with venomous glare. And breaking contact from Squall's assessing irises, he used his arm to direct Aeris to move with him down the hall.

Yuffie couldn't help but catalogue the additional puncture wounds on his right bicep as he passed by. 'Gee,' she wondered, 'where did _those_ come from? He must be some wild ride.' Embarrassed at that thought that jumped into mind following that statement, she jerked her blushing face to watch her fidgeting hands and fingers.

Closing his eyes in realization, Squall thought on what he had seen in Cloud's eyes. Seen _too_ well, and had to fight off another momentary wave of nausea before he gave the most damaging insult he could think of. Although, admittedly, not very in his mind. "Off to finish up, eh?" he began, reopening his eyes to see Cloud slowing to stop. "Couldn't get off earlier, could you. So you're off to make sure you do, is that right?" He knew he had hit the mark by the twitch in the other man's wings.

Cloud had looked down, playing it as an angered gesture. 'Was it that obvious?' Quickly closing his eyes, he snapped them open and his head up. 'No. It didn't look like it.' Turning around, he gave Squall a look of death, half-facing him. "If it is the case, it's none of your business. Now back off." That said, he hugged Aeris a little and continued on his way.

He gave a bitter laugh, refusing to back down just yet. On a roll, he voiced, "So, the mighty 'Demon of the Coliseum' is just a sexually frustrated, bad ass wannabe, know-it-all punk who gets all pissy when he can't jerk off."

Cloud froze so suddenly and Yuffie thought Squall was dead this time for sure. She had noticed that neither she nor Aeris could believe that had just come out of Squall's, their Leon's, mouth. Cloud turned, fist a compact weapon of deliverance by death, and _looked_ at Squall. "Fuck _off_," he said, spacing his words for stress.

Squall had been about to make the perfect comeback to Cloud's fully, openly baited taunt, but withheld, the combination of the glare from Aeris and Yuffie's cement foot on his and iron fist in his side discouraging him. But it was the remembrance of pain that flashed throughout his body as he caught sight of Cloud's balled fist that convinced him it was not wise. His hand agreed with him as it rubbed his jaw. Dropping the damned thing for showing his unconscious recalling, he looked to Cloud briefly before dropping that, too. "This time," he agreed quietly, looking at his feet until they were out of sight in their chamber. There would be time later, to say goodbye.

And turning to glance at Yuffie's unreadable expression in her wary posture, he made his way to his thinking spot, the viewing room, to contemplate life as it was, is, will be, and may be upon his arrival home.

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OMG. This long ass chapter is finally done!!!! XD w00000000000000000000000000000000000000t! Only ONE chapter left and man will it be good! XD I will also include an epilogue in the last chapter to cover the FF7 vague-ish ending this story will have. ;; I guarantee no one will see this ending coming. Well, maybe the outcome, but not the method! XD

I couldn't decide if I should have made the sex scene full or not, as sparse or not. I wanted to say more, but felt that it was right for the time. I'm planning, at the very least, implications in the next chapter. Hmmmm. Did anyone get the 'obvious' comment? LOL. I thought it was freaking hilarious, but I may be the only one. I'm easily amused that way. ;;;;; Well, that was my longest chapter yet, but for those who actually like this story, I'm sure you'll feel treated. I've not given it it's subsequent revision upon writing, and I know it's bad of me, but I wanted to upload it immediately after writing. So if there are grievous errors, I apologize. Til next time, folks!

SHIT. It won't let me use asterics or plus signs for divisons! So sorry about the format change!


	10. Endings and Beginnings

_Another_ **"R"** worthy chapter! Sex galore! XD And is that opening scene a _hot_ one! It's gonna be a smut chapter, mostly. The first 7 pages are basically sex. XD But overall, it does paint a pretty graphic picture, unlike the last chapter.

-----------------------------

::::: Shift in PoV

' ' Thoughts

" " Dialogue

-- Flashback

/ Suggested Soundtrack

( ) Disc – Track Number

/--/ No Music, Silence

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/--/

He was lost in the feel and _life_ of her, but most of all in the rhythm. They had once again taken up their game from the hold, almost immediately it seemed, as it was something she appeared to favor. She had wanted to play and he couldn't deny her. There was something about just totally invading each other's mouths that she so enjoyed. And he had to admit, it was pretty damned addicting. He was aware of everything about the current situation, which was heightened by not only what he was doing, but by how he was holding her.

It was very similar to how they'd started on the floor, only this time, he had an arm underneath and around her shoulders. And the hand that had previously been gripping her hip was now furiously clutching the sheets from all the sensations around him; her mouth, the heat from her body, her breasts pressed against him, the heat from _his_ body, her fingers digging into him, the feel of the beautifully repeated smooth gliding he was doing in and out of her…

There were so many things, but he loved them all. Yet he was only able to reflect this much during such an act because of his cursed stamina. He _never_ came on the first few times, _never_. But while always a plus for his partners, it was something that drove him mad to no end, at times, such as now. So until his body _finally _reached its breaking point, he committed his mind and actions to the sole purpose of pleasing her as much as possible while he was still able to function lucidly. The current flesh being stabbed with her nails had rapidly increasing pressure upon it and he knew it would be soon. And as the pressure increased to its greatest, he stopped all movement and just held her, murmuring little noises into her ear as he let her ride it out, lightly kissing her cheek even after she was completely limp in his arms.

A sound issued from her throat and the vibrations rumbled against his throat as they were nestled together. Thinking she was going to say something, he shushed her, his own vibrations now traveling to hers, and she quieted, resting against him. He would give her a few moments before moving again. He'd been so close that time, he thought frustratedly, looking up at the ceiling before closing his eyes. This next time should do it. But before he began again, he took her resting period to look her over. She had really surprised him, with this, with everything. He… never thought she'd be this way, respond to him like she did. Hadn't back then either, but she'd surprised him as well, there, when he thought about it.

And he _had_ thought about it, many times, in fact, even when they had traveled. He couldn't help it. He was male, after all. And even after they had fooled around, during one of those times when they'd been separated from the group, he'd still thought about it. That had been the start of all his troubles, but their first time had really been just the beginning. Because even after that, he'd thought about it _too_ often, considering what was going on with Sephiroth and whatnot. But he could never stop it from happening, just the same. And now, as he looked at her, body and face shining with sweat in the dim bedchamber lights, he wished they could have done this since then, never being torn from her like that. Who knows what would have happened if that monster hadn't have taken her?

But her eyes had been closed all through his reflective mood and he didn't want her to fall asleep just yet. Planet, he knew she was exhausted, probably near dead. But he _had_ to release this otherwise _he_ would explode. So, looking at her glistening eyelids and cheekbones, he drew back and went forward, and again, and once more with his slow thrust until her sleepy eyes fluttered open and groggily found his, realization blossoming. He kept up his slow, strong, deep thrusts, only picking up speed as her arms wrapped around his neck and she started to reciprocate his movements.

She was making the noise from before in her throat again, only lots of them, and they were timed and increasing with each drive into her warmth. He must not have given her as much time to rest as he thought, because she was already on the verge of going over again. But that's ok, he thought to himself. At the rate they were now going, he was, too. 'Just…a bit…'

The scream of his name and resulting internal tightening of her body on the last push triggered his own long awaited deliverance and he arched completely backwards, head back and his wings fully extended straight back, breath catching and expelling raggedly, and his tensed, ridged abdomen prominently displayed. Spent, totally and finally, Cloud clumsily lowered himself, falling first to his elbow, then plopping the rest of the way down. 'Oh, Planet, sweet release,' was the one and only thought his brain put out.

Now, everything was better. And after a few short breaths and some time, they turned their heads towards the other, looking into each others eyes. That had been the first time she'd been so…vocal. And it had been _quite_ loud. They both realized that, and the overflow of emotion combined with looking at each other made them burst out into exhausted, hushed giggles, even though it did them little good. They'd already been found out. Oh, man, would they hear it later.

-----------------------------

Cloud grabbed hold of his pants and shook them lightly, watching as the other garments fell away before pulling them on. Looking to fasten two of the five buttons, just enough to cover himself, he left the belt hanging and turned to Aeris briefly. She was watching him from on her back, left hand twirling the curl by her face, silent.

"I'mma go to the bathroom real quick," he said gently. "I'll be right back." And watching her nod, he moved to the curtain. Opening just enough to give a peek, he was on the lookout, lest someone see Aeris in her nakedness as he was passing through it. Seeing no one, he continued down the hall to the lavatory, entered, and shut its door. He then unfastened the two buttons hastily, grimacing as he touched himself. While lots of sex was great, it sure backfired with all the waiting to be done afterwards just to go pee.

And while he _loved_ the sex, residue was not pleasant. Refastening, he quickly washed and dried his hands. But before leaving, he paused to look in the small mirror, backing all the way up to the door. Standing on the balls of his feet a little to see his abdomen, he examined the matching set of marks she'd given him. They would heal just after his chest and arm, but wouldn't scar. He never scarred. But damn, she was violent… Shaking his head once, he exited and returned to their chamber.

Pulling back the curtain, he choked upon entering and quickly shut the curtain. 'Damn,' the succinct thought came. Their sex had not only stained the sheets, but the air as well. Although while not _bad_, it had certainly been unexpected. He hadn't noticed the change in air when leaving. But speaking of sheets, he _had_ noticed that Aeris was already 'dressed' and had the sheets all bundled up.

She'd really just thrown the dress on and had rapidly buttoned it. He could tell because as he got closer, one button was matched with the wrong hole. Sticking his finger in the gap just above her breasts and pulling lightly, he teased, "What's this?" Scrunching her face up at him and blowing air through her nose, she playfully pushed his hand away and quickly redid them. Cloud had smirked and raised an eyebrow, impressed. Turning to look down at the ball of…sexual leftovers, he asked again, "What's _this_?"

"Our fun," she replied simply, trying to bundle it some more. "I feel so…icky," she said with a smile and pinched expression. "I thought we could wash this and let it dry while we took a shower." Nodding towards the mattress, she inquired, "How's the bed?"

Shrugging, he walked over to it. Placing both hands on it, he bent over and put his nose close to it, inhaling. Wrenching his head to the left, he released his scrunched nose and gave her a smile through squinted eyes. "Not bad." The look he received in return told him how much she believed him.

"Then we'll just have to wipe it down after we clean up," she informed him as she gathered the bundle in her arms. "I'll go wash these really quick while you wipe down the bed." Squishing the sheets against her chest, she made Cloud do a lookout again, and after he gave her a look, complied. No one being in sight, she scurried down the hall to the shower room and went to work. Cloud just shook his head as she tried to avoid any embarrassing encounters and returned to the lavatory. Wetting a few of the hand towels, he returned to the bed room, making sure the curtain was closed, and started dabbing at the mattress. His situation was far more embarrassing than hers, he justified. The sheets could be explained easily, but not the mattress.

-----------------------------

Aeris was just coming up the chute from the hold after hanging the sheets over some crates to dry. The blush as she remembered what they'd done down there in such an open area still present on her face. But she dispelled that easily enough when she resolved to tell Cid that he should really think about installing some laundry devices aboard this and the Highwind, once he rebuilt it. Looking ahead as she climbed out, she saw Cloud just going through the shower door. She smiled as an idea came to her.

Pacing to the war room, she struggled against the lid of hers, Squall's, and Cloud's weapon compartment, facing away from it and pushing up against it with her back just to open it. 'That sword of his is just way too heavy. How can it be any good?' But she knew the answer to that rhetorical question. He had no problem lifting and swinging it, and it proved very difficult to deflect because of his strength and the shear weight of it. So she actually knew it to be an effective weapon, as long as he wasn't fighting super demonized beings, she thought with a shudder. And they'd encountered a few of those along their way.

She opened up both their duffels and grabbed some things before closing the lid as quietly as she could. The lid slammed down as the weight was too much for her small build and she gave a light grimace. Holding the clothes, she traversed the hall again and quietly entered the shower room. Closing the door behind her with clothes in hand, she looked up to see Cloud looking at her over his shoulder, trying to avoid revealing anything to the unknown visitor coming in. He was obviously holding his pants up by the way he was standing, but turning upon seeing her, she could see he was just holding it closed, having just started to undress.

"Did you want to go first?" he asked in that light manner he had when talking with her.

She shook her head, messy braid flopping back and forth, and held out the clothes to him. "I thought we could take one together," she said with an intriguingly coy, yet sly, smile.

A very astounded grin spread across his face as he let out a disbelieving laugh. The implications! Looking away from the blank space he'd been staring at, Cloud read her eyes, already knowing the answer before he asked. "And do you think we'd actually get any showering done?" The space was super small as it was and it would be almost uncomfortable with both of them in there. But if they were standing the right way and if he kept his wings tucked in tightly, it'd be quite the opposite.

"Well," she started, rolling her eyes innocently, "I figured as long as we did before we got out everything would be fine." And Cloud could only consent with a sideways nod.

-----------------------------

Grasping the leg she'd wrapped around his waist, he cushioned her head with his other hand, bracing himself against the too-small ledge with his foot as they impacted wall. Their mouths consumed each other as their respective parts did below. With Aeris leaning against the wall, Cloud was free to focus on nothing but the action, and the hands that squeezed his butt so, almost as if she was trying to pull him farther in. Which he didn't mind, but he knew they would be additional 'scars of battle'. Was it gonna be like this every time they fucked? The wondering thought was immediately erased. He really didn't care as it didn't hurt all that much. And it just went to show how intense their little…. 'meetings' were, he thought with a wicked mental smile.

Letting her come down, he busied himself by planting soft kisses on her lips and gently pushing back the wet hair from her face. She looked so different with her hair down and wet. It was much curlier. Then again, he knew he did as well. He didn't have curls at _all_, so his hair flattened completely. He could tell when she was almost level with him, for she brought her hands to his chest and ran them down the full length of his torso and up again, the light touch comforting and intimate. She did that after every time she had an orgasm, as if to say 'thank you for giving me this while you have to wait'. And he would always acknowledge it by putting his forehead to hers and kissing the tip of her nose, staying in that loving position and soaking in the glow always present after such an act.

But he gasped loudly and jerked his head up, opening his eyes sharply to look into the mischievous laden ones directly across from his. 'Did she just…?' Head thrown back from her following squeeze, he coughed once into the air, watering raining down on them. Yeah, she did. He…didn't know what to think, or _how_ to, at this point. They had tried _many_ positions earlier in the chamber, but not _once_ did she touch him as directly as she was now. He put his hands to either side of her head, leaning fully on the wall. His eyes had refocused after that rush of nerves and Aeris now had a smirk to match her eyes. She moved again, grasping hand traveling his full length.

Aeris was having too much fun. It had taken a lot of willpower to take the step to grab him like that, but every reaction so far had so been worth it, especially the elicited whimper on that last path. It was such a different experience when you didn't feel what was going on, being on the outside like this. Instead of journeying with him, she watched him travel alone, and she was enjoying this chance observance. Here, she could see everything she missed while driven to sweet madness under his touch. All the little noises he made, the expressions, the way his abdomen tightened in pleasured spasms with each stroke she bestowed upon him. And now, it was his turn to sit back and be the object of attention.

She remembered with some regret how she hadn't been able to do this with her first boyfriend. She'd been too scared then. And it certainly hadn't been for any lack on his part. He was extremely promiscuous and they had fooled around a few times, but she could never bring herself to give him everything he wanted from her, and that included big things like blow and hand jobs. She had considered those big at the time, and remembered feeling bad about her lack of courage to do it after she'd walked in on him a couple of times while obviously in the middle of masturbation, relieving himself as she couldn't or wouldn't.

Wasn't a good girlfriend supposed to _help_ her boyfriend in matters of that nature? But now she thought differently, knew differently. While the idea of a blow job still bothered her, she was strangely comfortable in knowing that if it was for Cloud, then it would be okay; she thought she would be able to handle it. That didn't make any kind of sense, whatsoever, but Cloud had a way of making her want to do things she hadn't before.

Cloud himself, though, had completely reverted into another dimension altogether, panting heavily in front of her and leaving her to her speculations. His head was bent down and the position highlighted the muscles in his shoulders, and while his eyes had been open earlier as he'd dimly watched her stroke him, they'd completely closed and his face took on a look of concentration. Bringing her head back up from peering up at him, she tilted her sight to observe him, trailing down his tensed body.

She watched as he now furiously pumped into her hand, the water raining from above serving as the required lubricant. She loved it when his body was ridged like this. It was the only time his abs were so prominent. Normally, you'd see their outline and that was all, and so he would have this powerful, yet wondrously soft look. And when he contracted them for _any_ reason, they became entirely clear and you could perfectly feel each one.

Looking his desirable form over, Aeris really had to conclude that's the way his _entire_ body was, probably from the combination of his experimentation and fighting. And the low sounds that he added every so often just heightened the experience. It was strangely surrealistic to watch him performing the motions into her hand when she had felt it herself in a very different manner so many times before. But like she had told herself earlier, she wouldn't give up this slight worry of not doing it right for the chance to observe him objectively like this. But by the look and _feel_ of things, she was doing just fine.

He suddenly seized in her hand, alerting her back to the situation, but it did nothing to prepare her for the hot blast that rocketed into her stomach and spread in a thick splatter. Aeris looked on in stunned amazement. 'Wow,' she thought distantly. 'So that's what it's like.' She'd _never_ seen an ejaculation before, and this was an… informative event.

Cloud was breathless and he tiredly looked into her eyes before sweeping down to what was his doing. Slowly collapsing against her, he tucked his head between hers and her shoulder, putting his left hand to her abdomen and wiping downward, repeating twice more to remove all of his semen with the aid of the water, and pressing against her in an intimate hug. Wrapping both arms around her by squeezing them between the wall and the small of her back, he let his forehead connect with the wall, lips pressing into her skin and inhaling her scent. He didn't want to get out, but sticking out a hand from behind her, he turned it up. He was beyond wrinkled. Turning his head to the left a bit, he kissed the hollow and pulled back, running his cheek along hers to end in a gentle kiss. "We should get out."

"I know," she said softly. "But we still have to clean up."

Giving a slow, single nod, Cloud advised in a quiet tone, "We'd better make it quick though. We're already in trouble for the bed chamber, and if we use all the filtered water, Cid _will_ kill us," he ended with a teasing smile. Pulling farther away from her, he ran his hand once down his retreating length, wiping anything that might've still been on it off. He placed his hand on the door and prepared to slip out before Aeris stopped him.

"What are you doing!?" she asked, incredulously.

Looking back at her, he answered bewildered, "I'm, uh, getting out. I'm already done."

She gave him such a scolding face. "Oh, no you're not. You didn't even wash up!"

"Yes, I did—," he started, but was cut off by her protest.

"When?" she asked sarcastically. "In between all the action?"

"I took a shower earlier! I'm already clean," he protested childishly.

"But we _did_ things after that, and we _both_ got all sweaty and dirty. Here," she said, handing him the bar of soap. "At least wash under your arms or something." And with that said she went back to rubbing herself down.

Cloud only pouted, scowling at the bar in his hand, but did what she said. Only the minimal amount, mind you. He wasn't that dirty. And rinsing off, he beat her out of the shower and moved to dry off, not waiting for her to follow. He thought it would be best if they weren't seen leaving together, and knew she would think the same thing.

-----------------------------

He hadn't had to wait long for her, and she stepped across the hall to place hands on his chest as she gave him a light kiss. Reclining against the wall, he'd brought a hand to the small of her back and barely pursed in return. It was only a little short-time departure kiss, after all, so no need for a big reunion one. She splayed hers hands, looking briefly at how the lines they made contrasted against the even-now rapidly fading scratches. She brought her face close to his again and squinted one eye at him, playful. But their moment was interrupted as someone cleared their throat.

Both looked over to see Squall off to the side. Cloud's eyes narrowed, but he immediately looked down to the fingers pressed against him. Rubbing with the hand still on her back, he told her, whispering quietly, "Don't you have to talk to him?" The look she gave in response to that sentence asked her question in place of her voice. He gave his customary single nod and looked at Squall briefly with a warning glance before straightening and moving away from the wall. But he kept his hand at the small of Aeris's back so as to steady her incase she lost balance when he'd shifted underneath her.

Pushing her forward with it, he then dropped it to his side and watched as Squall's surprised features melted into his typical stern ones and gave a single nod by way of thanks. Cloud only crossed his arms at looked at the wall to his left, only looking up when the corner of his vision told him they had moved into the viewing room. Dropping the uncaring pretense, he tried to dispel the rising jealousy. Feeling as if he had been moderately successful after a few deep breaths, he made motion to head back towards the cockpit. Stopping mid turn, he reversed and continued forward. A little rat had caught his attention. Sneaking up behind, her grabbed hold of her scarf and pulled her flat on her butt.

Yuffie's hands had flown to her mouth to cover the squeal of surprise likely to emit from the sudden attack. She turned around and glared at Cloud, her large brown eyes narrowing to slits. "You'll pay for that, choco butt!" she whispered vehemently. "I wanted to hear what was going on!"

Cloud kneeled down to her level, wings opening enough to provide balance, and wiggled a finger at her as he tilted his head. "I'll pay, huh?" he baited her.

"Oooo!" she huffed, jumping back up as she punched at the air, turning to punch at surrounding angles. "You bet you will!" And as Cloud stood once more, she turned to double and triple faux punch his gut. "I'll take you down, just you watch--," she cut off, mouth falling open. "Damn, Cloud. Can't you guys have sex like _normal_ people!?" She exclaimed none too quietly for him upon seeing the new marks on his stomach.

Moving to clap a hand to her mouth and holding her head to it with the other placed at the back of her head, he berated her heatedly, albeit quietly, "Couldn't you say that with a little less screeching?" His cheeks were red and his ears and entire face were burning. "C'mon, you royal punk," he said, grabbing hold of her scarf again. "Show me how good you've gotten." And he dragged her towards the chute, noticing after what he said sank in that it was a lot more willingly. If there was one thing she liked, it was showing off her skills.

-----------------------------

Squall could not express the gratitude to Cloud when he had unexpectedly consented to Aeris being alone with him. And he'd done it without any asking on his part, too, something that threw him for an even bigger loop. But…he'd gotten his chance to clear the things between them, him and Aeris, and for that he would always be eternally grateful. But as he removed his things and Lionheart from the bin, this knowledge brought him no less pain for his approaching departure.

Cid had given him the twenty minute warning about ten ago, and so he had gone to collect all his things. He'd made sure he had everything, even triple checked every room. Stuffing the previously discarded clothes into the duffel, he pulled it shut, lifting and dropping it on the floor once to let things settle. He then hefted it over his shoulder and gripped Lionheart as he turned to make his way to the boarding ramp. He dumped his stuff and gripped onto the quickly slipping emotions. There were so many thoughts assaulting him right now; fear of leaving what he knew behind, fear of meeting what was waiting for him, anxiety at the latter and former. After all this time, after how far he'd come since then, he _still_ had trouble accepting change. It pained his heart to see the image of a scolding Rinoa coming to his mind's eye.

'Rinoa.' He thought longingly. 'I'll…try to do my best, for your sake. I'll try to…do what you would have wanted me to.'

His silent oath given and his mind and spirit prepared for the new start, he looked up as he reached the door, seeing Cloud, Aeris, and Yuffie all waiting for him. 'They all came to say goodbye.' His heart clenched as their presences made it all the more real. Though he suspected darkly that Cloud's attendance was more to gloat than an actual goodbye, but the other man had looked away as soon as Squall's eyes passed over him, concentrating on his booted feet as he sat atop crates and reclined with arms across. He had to steady himself a bit, and noticed the others did as well, at what he guessed was a landing.

Cid came over the comm., announcing that very thing, but added in Cid fashion, 'better make your damned sappy goodbyes quick', something along those lines, and then 'watch your ass, little know it all bastard'. Smiling nostalgically at the reminder of all the times they'd argued, Squall gave Cid a salute by way of a nod in goodbye and respect of his landing. Selphie could've learned a thing or two million from him, he teased her unknowingly. Aeris had said that anyone taken over or down by the Heartless should be restored, so that meant everyone he'd last seen should be okay. Because they had only been swallowed by the darkness as he had, and not crushed by falling—

Tearing his thoughts from unpleasant, painful remembrances, he looked to Aeris as Cloud opened the ramp. Cid had flown the ship to where Squall had told him the last strong hold had been, only able to give him coordinates he was unsure would even be calculable by the Gummi's system. But Cid had worked his magic and converted it beautifully as what was outside the door was correct. Praising him silently again, Squall moved forward to go down the ramp, only to be halted as Yuffie vaulted and suctioned to his middle, squeezing all breath out of him.

"Goodbye, Squally!" she sniffled. "I'll miss you _so_ much, Squally Squall Squall," she teased one last time. And she sniffled again before vigorously rubbing her nose into his shirt. Squall's face deadpanned right there. The name thing was bad enough, but now snot from _the_ snot-nosed brat? Great.

"Somehow," Squall said with a flat tone, "that had made parting with you that much easier." And the smile that came to his face at her expression of indignation called his bluff. "I'll miss you, too, Yuffers." He was _very_ pleased to see her own face deadpan at his name for her. Hey, tit for tat, right? Turning to Aeris, he sobered quickly. Oh, how the heart still ached. She parted from Cloud's side and approached him with open arms, gently embracing him. He dropped his bag to return it as Cloud dropped his gaze from them, giving the okay for the move.

Squall turned his head into hers and whispered softly, lovingly into her hair, for her ears only, "Goodbye, my sweet, beloved, Aeris." And pressing a kiss into her temple, he pulled slowly back, pausing to look at her for a little longer, letting his brain say goodbye, as well. He finally dropped his arm as he noticed Cloud once again looking at him. And while he wasn't _glaring_, he was definitely uncomfortable with Squall holding onto her closely for so long.

Smirking to himself, Squall bent to retrieve his bag. Hoisting it, he walked pasted Cloud down the ramp and kept going until he was a fair distance from the ship. He was still close enough to hear Cloud radio back to Cid that they were ready to go. And when he heard the engines whine, he turned back around to watch as the ship lifted off, ramp slowly closing. His eyes had lingered a moment on the hugging forms of Cloud and Aeris, with Yuffie off to their side waving energetically, all looking out to him. Their eyes had met, and Squall had been granted a single, deep nod from Cloud.

He huffed to himself, amused. A warrior's bow, a warrior's goodbye. Squall nodded in return, and as the hatch closed turned to continue on his way, towards the small crowd of people rushing out to meet him. And as he met their surprised, joyous, and welcoming hugs, he openly smiled then grinned widely, for he had gained both closure and a new beginning. Aeris's words had proven true, and the new revelation had given hope beyond any measure he had ever thought possible. Yes, he could live in this new old world. And he would do it for Rinoa, and for the promise he had made Aeris.

For their sakes, and his sanity, he would give himself to those who needed him. And from the people crying over his return, he knew they actually existed. She had been right. That damned angel had been right. And he had loved them both.

-----------------------------

XD Omg, another chapter completed in ONE day! ONE!!! XD Aren't you proud of me? Lol. That went SO incredibly fast and yet so slow. -.- It took me all day to write that! I've decided to keep the epilogue for a separate posting and it should be up later this week. And that will definitely be the end of this story. XD Sorry if there are any mistakes! It only took a day, like I said. P But hope you all enjoy it.


	11. And So It Goes On

_MUCH_ thanks and love to Clorith for the beta test of the final installment! XD

Ok, I know this was based off situations in the KH universe, but it also pulls extensive knowledge from the base worlds of FF7 and FF8. So if there's something from FF8 you don't get because you haven't played the game, then don't worry about it. It was just an added bonus for those who are intimate with its characters. The last song in the story soundtrack is the most important out of all I've included, and if you were to acquire any of them, the last one would be it.

It's essential to capture the full emotional magnitude behind the story's closing. While not essential to the understanding, its impact will just not be as great. The song in question is "If You Still Believe", and has Dennis Martin in its tagline. It is the final FMV song from Legend of Dragoon; a beautiful song _and_ game. ) WinMX it or something similar in way of MP3 programs. Or email me and we'll arrange an IM time so I can send to ya. Same holds for any of the OST selections. )

-----------------------------

--- Shift in PoV

' ' Thoughts

" " Dialogue

-- Flashback

/ Suggested Soundtrack

( ) Disc – Track Number

/--/ No Music, Silence

-----------------------------

/Balamb Garden – FFVIII OST (1-2)/

He directed the current heavy lifting team with a wave of his left arm in the general direction he wanted them to go. This section of the stronghold was totaled and he shook his head miserably at the loss. He tried to deal with all the groups crowding around him and send them to the areas that needed it most, but it was just so hard to know how good a job he was doing. And it was so damned tiring, not to mention aggravating.

This squad wanted that and that squad wanted this and that group wanted _every_thing. He brought his left hand up and squeezed the bridge of his nose in annoyance as he balanced himself with his gunblade cocked on his right shoulder. This was beyond bearable and he scowled as he thought on how _any_one could do this for a prolonged period of time, Cid particularly coming to mind.

With the orphanage having had to move here, he and Edea had been occupied looking after the kids and helping the others contained behind the walls. After losing her powers to Rinoa in her unknowing succession, Edea had become just another that needed protection from the invading Heartless, and her previously frightening powers that had held him under her service had been sorely missed. But with those two helping the refugees from all over the continent, leadership had been handed to him, but only after Squall's…disappearance. He refused to think him dead. It wasn't like Squall to just…go so easily. He should know…

There had been so many casualties and the posse that had finally grown to accept more than just Fuujin and Raijin had shrunk dramatically in less than four days. Fuujin was off issuing commands in her notable way, and he smiled at that. She had a way of making one word sentences unquestionably clear and no one argued with her. Raijin had such incredible luck coming out of everything with out even a scratch that Seifer could do nothing but curse the man, even though he was so very glad they had both come out of this unharmed.

His thoughts darkened as Selphie coming towards him reminded him of the heavy casualties their Garden forces had taken. She was walking pretty steadily and he knew that she was still adjusting to her new leg. The right had been claimed by an exploding barrel and she'd had to be fit with a prosthetic. But she was adjusting rather well considering the pace at which she and Irvine were approaching. Irvine, too, had been seriously injured and had only recently gained permission to come back out on the field.

He still limped heavily and his left arm was still in a sling, but that was expected to heal. The Garden doctor had warned, however, that he may always suffer a limp, although it may degrade in its prominence. However saddening these facts were, he knew there'd been worse cases; fatalities like Rinoa. They'd found _her_ body as she had fallen before the Heartless's final sweep, but Squall's remained to be. Looking up, he nodded to the two as they finally arrived in front of him.

Selphie stumbled to a stop, her apprehension showing through her excitement. "Seifer!" she said, breathless, Irvine putting a hand to her back as she bent over her knees to catch it. "You'll never guess what we just saw!" Looking to Irvine, she continued at his nod. "There's a ship coming this way! The Garden's radar picked it up!" Here she became slightly nervous and she started to do that little dance of swaying from foot to foot, like she did before a battle. "It's of an unrecognized origin."

"What?" he asked confused, looking to her to explain in better detail.

Biting her lip, she looked from Irvine, to him, to Irvine, and back again. "The signatures and properties are so strange… We think it might be an Esthar ship," she finished carefully.

Seifer swallowed the bile that rose in his throat, color abandoning him. Shit, he was in trouble now. Esthar ship coming this way? Damn. "How long?" he demanded. He wanted to know how long he had to prepare a semi-eloquent explanation to the president of the most technologically and militaristically powerful nation on the planet as to why his son was dead because _he_ hadn't been there to watch his back.

"ETA: two minutes," she said, biting her lip again.

"Son of a…" Alright, he could do this. He'd learned how to take responsibility after Adel and Ultimecia. "Gimme some time. Stall them for a few minutes while I think of what to say." Nodding at his command, Selphie and Irvine started off towards where the projected landing point would be.

Raijin came bounding up in his careless way. "Yo, Seif, I hear there's an Esthar ship coming?"

Seifer gave him a sardonic glare. "You heard, huh. _Funny_, it was just announced."

"Uh, yo, Seif," Raijin began, unsure and scratching the back of his head. "How you gonna explain to Mr. President that his son—," Raijin cut off as he dodge Seifer's blow and just ran, far from Seifer's fist and to the safety of Fuujin's side, who sent Seifer a compassionate look before turning to issue more orders. Typical Fuujin; show you care but waste no time on it.

"He's not dead, you stupid bastard!" He shook his fist after him. "Not until they bring back his fucking body!" Calming himself, he prepared to get his ass handed to him by the Esthar royal guard.

The walk hadn't taken long, but the most surprising thing was that only _one_ person got out. One and they were walking this way with something over their shoulder and at their side something that looked like… Seifer couldn't believe it, didn't believe it. He pushed the person in front of him roughly out of the way, following suit with the next person, and again to anyone else the got in his path until he was in front.

Squall. It's really him. Everyone had noticed at the same time and had rushed to meet him. Seifer stood there, staring in his state of shocked relief, body being bombarded as the passersby bumped into him in their haste to reach Squall, enveloping him with love. He was smiling and laughing so openly. Seifer nodded to him and turned to look at the sun shining brightly just past mid sky, squinting with one eye completely shut as the big ass grin stretched his lips.

Squall's journey had been good for him, and his own for himself. Out of pain comes growth, and they'd both done so much. They understood each other now where they hadn't in the past, and Seifer was glad he was back. Everything was bright now, and the brilliant sun pouring its rays down from above made even the deepest shadows turn towards the light.

-----------------------------

/Main Theme – FF7 Piano Collections (1-2)/

They had left their stuff in their bins after Cid had landed and were now waiting for him to make his way down to the ramp so they could all share this moment together. Cid had ranted earlier about missing everything because he was the only good pilot. Cloud had offered to take his place for this instance, but Cid had immediately retorted that _he_ was the only 'goddamned pilot' and no one pushed his baby's buttons right but _him_. Cloud had merely shrugged and left, saying something along the lines of 'don't say I didn't offer'. Cid had joined them in only a few minutes and had moved to open the ramp immediately, for Yuffie's bouncing form in the compartment had already reached his tolerance level.

As soon as it was open, Yuffie ran out, cart wheeling down it and flipping in circles. Stopping, she somersaulted to land flat on her stomach and hugged the grass as much as she could. "Home!" she squealed. "Home! Home! Home! I'm _home_! And it's just as beautiful as I remember!"

Cid had followed her more leisurely. Placing his hands on his hips, he inhaled as deeply as he could without going into a hacking fit. "Aaah!" he exclaimed. "Ain't no Rocket Town, but it sure smells good, all the same." He had begun to pat himself, searching for his cigs when he cursed, remembering he had long since run out. 'Damn goody goody town not carrying them!' Sighing in defeat, he looked to Aeris and Cloud who were still at the top of the ramp looking out. "Hey, you two, what are you waiting for? Didn't you miss our Planet?" he asked incredulously. "Come down from there, already!"

They looked to each other worriedly, their faces strangely apprehensive. "Something's…not right," they both said at the same time, looking to each other in surprise.

Yuffie had stood up and looked at them after sharing a concerned look with Cid, who ranted, "Whattya mean something's not right!? Everything's right, now!" Gesturing around him, Cid continued, "Look! You don't get attacked by a fucking Heartless mob by stepping foot outside city limits! Everything's fine! Come down, already, for shit's sake," he grumbled irritably. "Let's reunite with the sense of being _home_ before heading to town. I had to stop, couldn't wait 'til we got to one."

They looked at each other again, still on edge. Aeris's hands busied themselves with each other as she started down the ramp, looking back at Cloud once. She stopped as the junction of ship and grass, hesitating. "It's like the Planet is uneasy. I can feel so much motion," she said forebodingly before stepping cautiously off. The Planet sang as she came in contact with it, welcoming her back. But she could still feel an abnormally strong stirring within it, as if it was preparing to act, but on what she didn't know. It was strangely silent in way of explanations.

Cloud looked around from the top of the ramp suspiciously as he pulled his cape tightly about him and hiding his lower face in his scarf. He retreated into himself in his wariness. Something was up, he could feel it, and it set his entire being on a _sharp_ edge; his warrior senses were warning him. He walked down the ramp excruciatingly slowly as he continually looked around. Cid made some sarcastic remark about him being paranoid and Cloud retaliated harshly with a hissing whisper, "There's something not _right_! Can you not _feel_ it?"

Yuffie had become pensive, hand at mouth in thought. "Well, now that you mention it, I can kinda feel that something seems a little off."

Cloud nodded, but more in relief that at least someone besides him and Aeris felt something. "Be on guard," he issued matter of factly. He, too, paused at the ramp's end, meeting each member's eyes, afraid to step off. There was just something so _wrong_ about this.

"Would you get your pansy ass outta my goddamn ship already?!?" Cid bellowed.

Glaring at Cid over his scarf, Cloud looked worriedly at the ground, carefully stepping out with nervous wings twitching, toe first then the rest of his foot. When nothing sprung up at him, he took another slow step, all the while looking around. When nothing happened then or for the next few steps, he made his way to stand beside Aeris, but didn't relax his awareness in the slightest. He didn't like what his body was telling him and that was to run. But from what, and to where? He didn't know. All he knew was the intensity with which his body was pulsating with that simple command to just _run_, just run away.

Yuffie went back to her prancing about with her gymnastics and Cid kept playing with that damned grass, probably envisioning it a cigarette. Cloud had been on the lookout and he about jumped outta his skin as Yuffie gave an exclamation at narrowly dodging an opening hole in the ground. Aeris and Cloud both looked to each other and approached it, pausing as they came to the slowly expanding circumference which stopped as soon Cloud came to its edge. Cid had come a bit closer as the other three gathered around and looked into the green dimension. 'Lifestream,' Cloud and Aeris shared the unspoken thought. Still looking at her, Cloud's heart wrenched painfully. No, it couldn't be it's come to reclaim her! Thankfully, his fear of that situation was expunged as nothing happened, but he still couldn't shake this feeling…

Cloud's body jolted, his mind and heart freezing at the sudden impact. Looking down to his chest and the spear of hardened Lifestream impaling it, he shakily lifted his head to the horrified face of Yuffie across from him. Dropping his gaze in the same manner back to the pool, he followed the spike's length back to where it was embedded. It was _freezing_ and he could feel a tingling sensation in his back from the lance of the Planet's blood. But the tingling soon turned into an even colder heat and he was rapidly becoming unable to feel anything in that area. But it felt hard when his disbelieving hands touched that area of his chest. It didn't hurt at all, no physical pain, but he knew something wasn't right. He shouldn't be getting _solid_ like this and he definitely shouldn't be unable to feel himself breathe.

/Pure Heart – Rikki (1-3)/

The pool had begun to expand again and everyone jumped back, everyone but, Cloud who couldn't move. Cid had shouted at him, frustrated, to move his skinny ass, but he couldn't! The pool had now gained enough ground and had moved under his feet. He was sinking. Aeris rushed back to Cloud's side and latched onto his left arm when she figured out he was unable to get away. He pushed her violently away with the same arm and sent her stumbling and falling to the ground at Cid's feet as he tried to catch her. "Don't come near, damnit!" Cloud told her with a panicked look in his eyes. He didn't want her to die again! He was sinking and it already had him up to his knees; he didn't want her to be sucked in, too.

He watched Aeris tumble to a heap at his feet, pounding at the ground with her small fists and screaming. He understood the words she was saying, but couldn't make sense of what it meant. Something about Cloud, that 'he wasn't', whatever that meant. But he knew he would be the one to calm her down…and try to figure out what the hell was going on!

He took a deep breath, knelt as best he could by Aeris, and placed both hands on her shoulders. "Aeris. Aeris, doll," he spoke gently trying to plead with her, "can ya _please_ tell me what's going on?"

She nodded, hiccupping, and answered him, constantly interrupted by the invasive movements of her desperate lungs. "The Planet says that Cloud is a threat!" she cried in between breaths. "But he's _not_! He's _not_!" She jammed the heels of her hands into her eyes, rubbing at them as the tears continued to fall at her misery. But she spoke again before breaking off into unintelligible weeping, "He's not like Jenova at _all_!" And the dawning of clarity her last fitful emission brought left Cid feeling utterly sick, the single grass strand falling from his slack lips as he turned to watch the Planet's swallowing of Cloud in shocked disbelief.

Yuffie had totally disregarded what he'd done to Aeris and came bounding up to give her try at pulling him free. She had grabbed the arm he'd thrown her way to remove her from danger, but he paused at the look in her eye, something he surely recognized, but never from her. "Yuffie," was the quiet, astonished whisper as the realization came to him. 'Why now…? Cause she thinks you're gonna die, idiot!' he mentally berated himself.

Tearing his gaze from her much too intense one, Cloud fought with renewed vigor. He bat his wings so furiously that he thought they would tear from his back. But even with that, he couldn't remove himself from the Lifestream's suction in the slightest. He was going under too fast, and the once freezing chest was almost buried. He couldn't get out…he…couldn't. 'No.'

He looked up desperately, meeting each person's eyes. First Yuffie's, whose pained ones reflected more than he was willing to think on. Then to Cid's, who held a struggling Aeris aiming to reach him. His eyes held quiet sorrow, burdened with the knowledge of what was before him even if he didn't know the reasons behind it all. He was saying goodbye, as well...

But it was the look in Aeris's eyes that killed him. She was crying, the streams on her face, the wretchedness in her expression, and the knowledge her gaze held. She kept shaking her head and calling his name, reaching out for him. He tried to reach back, to touch her one last time, but his arms were already embedded in the pool, immovable. All he could do was look her in her _beautiful_ eyes, the resignation present and readable in his, but never acceptance.

His throat was being engulfed and he was going under much faster now. He looked back to Yuffie, to say _his_ goodbye, before quickly shooting back to Aeris. He opened his mouth, to tell her once more, but his soul-felt profession was choked off as the Lifestream entered into the newly opened orifice and filled it. He threw his head back as much as he could, screaming with everything he was.

But nothing could escape the Lifestream, and as the ground swallowed him, as all feeling, sound, and awareness was cut, his sealing within the planet was complete. And his choked off cry echoed in the Lifestream where only the Planet could hear.

'…_Damn you_!'

-----------------------------

Voices could be heard, more voices should be the correct thought, and their presence pushed the one from his pleasant dream away. The dreams of the strangely similar silver haired boys and Sephiroth's reappearance happily released. With that, he let go of his dream-state, and companion, with pangs of regret, whoever the familiar presence was…

He felt a hand gently, sporadically, almost fearfully, shaking him, trying to rouse him accompanied by a light brushing over the cheek of his right eye and he pinched his face. At his movement, he could feel the murmured speaking and brushing hesitate before beginning again and traveling down that side of his face only when he failed to do anything more. The continued light brushing finally got to be such an annoyance that he shifted his body, trying to push himself into a _use_ful waking state. The inhaling of breath and air rushing in as he imagined the people jumping back away from him almost made him laugh, but the sheer trouble he was having at only opening his eyes quickly killed all would-be mirth.

He peeled his eyelids apart and tried to look at what was above him, but the only images he could discern were blurred shapes that roughly looked to be in the form of people. He positioned his hands at his sides, fumbling as his limbs were suddenly so hard to move. And as he started to push himself up, they gave out, but two sets of hands under him helped to sit him the rest of the way up. Since he couldn't see the figures, he gave a blinded nod and he brought a hand up to rub at both eyes; hopefully to remedy the 'blinded' situation.

He could hear a rushing of feet coming towards him and a loud noise as the person arrived, stopping themselves with hands braced against some solid substance. Ceasing his actions, he looked up curious as to who it was and why they were so loud. His face took on an innocently puzzled expression as he looked the person up from feet, to hands braced on a rock wall? to ecstatic face. Did he know this person? They didn't look familiar, and they were dressed vaguely similar to Wutaiians…

"Ryuu sama ga! Ryuu sama ga!" the same stranger yelled, making Cloud's heart restart. It had been so sudden and so loud that he was shocked into a spell of dumbfoundment, with the belated realization of the spoken language making up most of it. The person turned around and started running back to wherever he'd come from, Cloud guessed. His cries of 'Shiroi Ryuu sama o mezamashite!' echoing back to his too sensitive ears.

Cloud shook his head slightly to clear the residual pain from the loud voice and proceeded to take in his surroundings a bit more, lucidity slowly making its comeback. The many and _large_ shards of green laying around him made his brows draw together as he thought on what it was… 'Green,' the solid thought resonated in his mind, '…means something.' The simple word brought such an atmosphere of peace to his mind that it distracted him from his task. What was this that he was remembering? And what was this _voice_, this _warmth_ that came with it? The emerald shards…floating in endless green…fireflies of light everywhere…

…!

Lifestream!

All of the memories were once again back in their proper places and the rushing thoughts that trailed them incited such fear in him as he noticed the absence of _her_. The widened state of his brilliant eyes and the frantic searching that rapidly possessed him sent his Wutaiian tenders into a fit of trying to calm him down.

The one to his immediate right, the one that'd been trying to wake him, he thought, placed his hands cautiously on him in an effort to make Cloud focus on his words. "You are safe," he said in heavily accented Midgardian. "You need fear nothing, most honored being," the man said, quickly removing hands and eyes from him as he bowed.

"Where-," Cloud's voice broke on him, and he took a moment to fix that, "is she?" The attempt to clear his throat and coax his voice into working order failed miserably and his desperate question only came out as a disdainfully choked whisper. But looking at the man's face, he'd obviously been able to tell what he'd asked.

The attendant nodded respectfully and spoke from his bowed position, "We were instructed to bring you to the palace after your awakening to have all your questions answered." Looking up to Cloud's face briefly, the man quickly shunted his eyes back to the floor as he continued. "We were told you would have many, most honored one."

Cloud looked the man in front of him over more closely, taking in his dress, speech patterns, suffixes, addressments, and mannerisms. They were all very similar to a certain Eastern culture, and he unknowingly voiced his concluding thought aloud, albeit, still very brokenly, "Wutai."

The man before him looked up with a pleasant startled bearing and returned to an even deeper bow, pride coloring his answer, "Yes, my lord."

Things were slowly coming together as to his location, but everything _else_ remained frustratingly blank. "Yuffie," the fragmented thought and command broke through as Cloud looked the man in his fleeting gaze, beseeching him to understand. Strangely enough, the slew of emotions that cycled through the other's face in such a short time set Cloud on edge, though he didn't and couldn't know why.

The man bowed even deeper, flattening against the floor with profound adorance tinted with many emotions, sadness and disbelief, of all things, making their impressions upon Cloud. But before Cloud could dwell even semi-deeply on it in his confused state, the attendant spoke once more. "Please, my lord," he paused to glance up at Cloud. "I was instructed to bring you to the palace. Empress Kisaragi has personally deigned to audience with your lordship for the purpose of answering all questions you were to have."

Cloud nodded, dropping it for now. The man was either unwilling or unable to answer anything he might think of to ask and he was much too exhausted to fight him. Kisaragi… At least they knew who he meant by Yuffie. He smiled to himself a bit. So she had ascended the throne. This should be interesting, at the very least, but he was glad that _some_thing was familiar. And as the attendant rose and led him with a small entourage out of the cave and towards the palace, he began to realize that _every_thing was _very_ different. And that thought did not sit well with him at all.

-----------------------------

/June Mermaid – Xenogears CREID (1-07)/

That was _not_ Yuffie, the thought seized him. She looked very similar to the sprite-like girl, surely, but that was all. Anger swelled within Cloud at the instant realization as to the non identity of the woman seated on the throne some distance away. "Who the hell are you? Where's Yuffie?" he spoke with quiet deadly anger, body at the ready for an ambush at thinking he'd been misled. The seated woman shifted from her slightly condescending, regal posture and stood, sending her attendants off to the sides further away, obviously some secret gesture hidden by her movements having dismissed them, and she continued down the golden stairs towards him, stopping several paces away.

Surely, it was for the intimidation factor expected of nobles. Either she didn't believe in this god nonsense or she was doing it merely for the attendants behind him. Nevertheless, she was treating him as her equal, and he felt that he should be somewhat thankful for that. Though, he supposed if she _did_ subscribe to his supposed divinity, then she was behaving a bit on the arrogant side to think herself equal to him. Or was it him for thinking that just now…?

Glancing back at them, Cloud saw that they had stopped close to the door and were on the ground in an extreme bow, much like the one bestowed him back at the cave. Lingering on them a moment, he drew back to face the Empress, he assumed, or her double. "They said I was to be taken to Empress Kisaragi…" he said coldly, stabbing her with an icy glare. "I'm still waiting."

"I am she," she said, her voice quiet yet firm and laden with command as she lifted her head once in a short sharp motion. The reason for such an act was soon made apparent by the silent shuffling of his escorts as they backed out the door. After they were gone, she assumed a much more domestic posture, and the motherly gaze she fixed him with brought unease to his heart. "But I am afraid the empress you were expecting no longer rules this land," she continued with a small sad smile. "As you so affectionately call her, 'Yuffie's' reign ended well over four hundred years ago," she revealed gently, watching Cloud closely.

His thoughts fled, taking his breath and vision with it. How could this be real? That meant that those 'dreams' of his friends weren't really dreams at all. They had been saying goodbye before rejoining with the Lifestream, before entering its flow to once again await rebirth as new beings. He was alone again, truly, this time. There would be no 'finding' his friends again; there were none to _be_ found. He felt as if he was going to drown. But before he could lose himself to his despair and break down as he wanted to, a delicate hand appeared before him with paper outstretched. Cloud looked up brokenly to her, reading in her eyes that she wanted him to take it. He moved sluggishly to take it, being weeping with his misfortune.

He sulkily opened the red envelope and removed the delicately folded paper inside, their beautiful properties going unappreciated in his emotional state. 'A letter,' he realized. And what more, addressed to him. Slightly curious as to what it was about, he shot a quick look to the Empress before turning away slightly to read it.

_I've instructed them to give this to you when you awoke. But hopefully you'll_

_awaken within my lifetime. I pray that you will, so that I can see you again… and to explain_

_with more clarity what happened after you…left. But if not, then I'll write everything down _

_here, in this letter, that you would want to know. I think I know you well enough for that, at _

_least._

He could hear her humor in that last sentence, and he paused to remember it before continuing.

_I'll start with the most important thing, since she was always forefront in your _

_mind. I'm sorry that there's no gentle way to put it, but Aeris was reabsorbed into the _

_Lifestream soon after you were._

Cloud's hand involuntarily crushed the letter when he jerked his head to the sky, trying to keep the tears from falling But as always, he was too slow and a small number escaped. He breathed deeply and didn't even bother to dry them before continuing.

_Only three days or so had passed. It… had been just as big a shock as yours was,_

_and__ we weren't sure how to deal with it at first. At the time it was happening, she must have _

_known__, because she said to tell you if you came back that she—_

Cloud broke off, skipping ahead. He didn't want to know anymore, didn't want to put himself through more than was necessary. What was the point if he couldn't even respond to whatever it was she wanted him to know? The rest of the letter was thankfully devoid of any more mention of her, but it did contain what was cursory information, at that time, on the rest of the former party members. The only one that hadn't surprised him at the outcome of his life was Nanaki's. He had, as expected by pretty much everyone and to Yuffie, as well, tended Cosmo Canyon and was busy with the instruction of its inhabitants and scholars in the ways of the Planet.

Fleetingly, he wondered if Nanaki might still be there, remembering Bugenhagen's comment about the extended lifespan of Red's species. His hand closed around the letter, heartache and despair filling him yet again. What was left for him now? He had no where left to return to, no one that would take him in. Certainly no one here, and so, he turned towards the other occupant, but to do what he didn't know. Thankfully, she took that decision off his hands.

"I cannot answer any questions you may still have," she said, too diplomatically for Cloud's taste. Obviously she didn't want to deal with him anymore.

Cloud looked briefly to the crushed paper in his gloved hands, thinking about….everything, but the question he asked her was surprisingly spur of the moment. "How did you know this letter was meant for me? I could just be some random guy that's been mistaken," he reflected as he looked her pointedly in the eye.

The small condescending half-smile that colored her painted face said as clearly as her words that she wouldn't be taken in by his bait. "Her description was very accurate," she answered vaguely. And as the hint of confusion on Cloud's face manifested, the half-smile turned into a genuine one. "Eyes of the sky; hair, the halo of the sun…" she trailed off and had to half-turn away at the noticeable blush on his face, she covering her mouth with her fan to prevent her expression from being known, and to hopefully hide any sounds that might escape. "Quite the poet, wasn't she?" the Empress asked rhetorically around her fan, trying hard to keep all signs of mirth from her voice, but knowing some still escaped.

Cloud nodded as he likewise faced away, cheeks still colored that telltale hue, remaining quiet. After he was sure of his composure, he spoke softly, "I should go."

Empress Kisaragi nodded formally in acknowledgement. "If you are hungry, we will be more than honored to provide you with nourishment and housing should you require it." That motherly smile was on her face again.

Still refusing to meet her eyes after that last incident, Cloud responded just as quietly. "No, I don't want to be more a bother than I already have."

"It's the least we can do for someone who the greatest Empress Wutai has ever known spoke so highly of," she said with a teasing smile, "and a national hero, if not deity." The last part couldn't be completed with out a small laugh tacked on. And while she hadn't meant it to be offending, it still ticked Cloud off.

"Don't tell me you subscribe to that supreme god bullshit, too," he bit out rather harshly. Realizing what he'd said in front of the Empress, he rubbed at his neck sheepishly before murmuring an indistinguishable 'sorry'.

"No," her gentle voice broke in. "But I cannot see you through her eyes." Looking briefly to the ground, the Empress began to move about, randomly visiting this koi pond or that. "I do not know you as she did and I can never expect nor hope to. So whatever she saw in you to make her think that is lost to us all, unfortunately. I can certainly see where she would have been intrigued with the eyes, and I'm sure your fighting prowess…" Her hand grazed along a bamboo frond as she slowly walked the path's and pond's edge, gathering her next thought. "But you must be _something_ special," she wondered even softer than usual for her, "because she talked about you until the end. So it is said, so it is recorded." And here she gave a pleasant smile as she turned to face him. "It is also documented that you were to be referred to Cosmo Canyon. There was hope that you would at least find something there. A place to stay, at least," she said looking down briefly. "But as our resident god, you're more than welcome to stay here, of course, for as long as you like. Or to come and go as you please," she cordially phrased. "As if we could go against the will of a god," she laughed lightly.

Cloud jerked back to face her, her light hearted joke all but ignored as he focused on her previous words. "Cosmo Canyon?" he asked, staring off into space in thought, then looking back into her eyes at his next thought. "Is something waiting there for me? Red is still _alive_?"

Shaking her head lightly, she responded, "I do not know. You would have to travel there yourself in order to find out. I was only doing what was instructed for the current empress at the time of your revival."

She didn't have to say it, but he could hear the '_if_ you revived' that was left unspoken and nodded in acknowledgement at the mutual thought. "I have to go. I have to see what's there." The restrained excitement was vibrant in his tone. He was on a mission, now, and he turned sharply to exit and head for the Canyon, his fingertips just making contact with the screen before she stopped him.

"Wait! We can provide transportation at least," she offered worriedly.

"No, thanks," he said with a knowing little smile that he flashed her over his shoulder. Flexing his wings and shaking the cape from them, he gave her a fleeting 'v' and proceeded out the doorway.

The Empress stumbled backwards a few steps and put an elegant hand to her chest in stunned and breathless surprise. 'He has wings…!' came the frantic thought. And as she watched him leave the room and likely her life, she realized for the first time what the legendary 'Yuffie' Kisaragi saw. She hadn't been a believer before, but she was now.

-----------------------------

/If You Still Believe – Legend Of Dragoon OST/

Nanaki loved the feeling of running uninhibited through the world and being close to the beautiful scenery that forever surrounded him. But as he approached closer to their special destination with the pups trailing him, this particular outing had become an especially enjoyable experience. They were almost there, and soon the lesson would begin. A smile spread across his face, lending a viciously feral appearance to his features and he quickened his pace, excited to show his children history in person. He anxiously and nimbly leapt up the structures, making his way to the outcrop that would allow for a magnificent view of Midgar in all its glory, but slid to an abrupt stop at the sight of a figure already there. There was something about this person he recognized, but it couldn't be. This smell, the qualities of the hair blowing in the light wind… "Cloud?" his gravelly voice released in a quiet disbelieving breath.

The figure slowly turned, his head scouting the situation before the rest of his body followed. Waiting until he was fully facing Red and his newly arrived and settling charges, he let his features lighten into an almost-smile, "Yo."

-----------------------------

Nanaki had been the last friend, and the last one Cloud had actually cried at in his passing. So unlike Vincent's, he was sorry to remember. Vincent's had been merely duty and obligation obtained through understanding. When their paths had finally crossed, it had not been under happy circumstances in the slightest. Not even on civil grounds, really.

There had been rumors of towns being terrorized by some unknown entity, which in itself was strange because of the nonexistent monsters. Cloud had been asked to go investigate and resolve it by the people of Cosmo Canyon, his acquired home between wanderings and resident peaceful force in the world, and had obliged. He had come upon Vincent, and the bitter irony at the understanding of the situation brought forth pity the likes of which he couldn't ever remember holding for anything. But Cloud did what was asked of him, by both the Canyon and Vincent's eyes, and had released him from the madness that was Chaos.

Now all ties to his long past were finally severed in the death of Nanaki. The pups he'd left behind were still somewhat young, and although they had a pack with which to stay, their mother and elders had agreed that the youngest travel with Cloud because of his great apathy and eagerness to learn, as would become the custom. And he had taken the young one everywhere with him, on all his journeys; showed him the world and told him of how it used to be in days long passed. And most enjoyed by the young pup, of traveling with his father, the discussions they had, and how Midgar hadn't always been green. Cloud had come to cherish him, as he would all his charges, but he could never replace Red. Instead, he had become a new confident in his own right, and his death had hurt as much as Red's.

He would come to find that those of Nanaki's tribe and species would be the most painful to part with. They had such long life spans and, therefore, more time for him to bond with them. But because of that, he always felt most at ease with them, and Cosmo Canyon as well, because of their understanding of beings living for such an extended period that his own un-aging was never questioned. He had become as legendary as the Canyon and as synonymous with both it and its beasts; and he was never seen without them, without at least one by his side.

Even now as the companion from the fourth generation of Nanaki's tribe lay beside him, gazing at the bluest sky yet, he couldn't help but remember _every_thing. He couldn't ever really forget. The sky, the lands, the air and waters…all perfect, just like she had wanted and would have loved. How he wanted to show her this. How he wanted to see her, feel her, _hear_ her again, and how the world reminded him of her at every turn.

A slight thump against his boot from the tail of a half-dozing fire beast on his right redirected his thoughts to their origin. Yes, the sky _was_ so blue, and so pure, as she had been, and he would wait to walk with her through the fields himself, by the hand. He closed his eyes and smiled at the pleasant thought.

Yes, he would like that.

And he would wait, no matter how long it took, 'cause he had all the time in the world.

Didn't he.

-----------------------------

Well, thank God _that's_ over. I thought it would never end. -.- The next fic is…not coming along, lol. It's taking a while and I've not been able to work on it with this one floating in my head. And now with school back in session, I'll be slowed down even more. Hopefully, though, it'll come out faster than I think it will, but in all honesty, that's not likely. I'm aiming for something a little shorter than this, but that probably won't happen either. / Well, those that stuck through 'til the end: hope you enjoyed it. And once again mucho praises to Clorith for the proofing/beta testing. And as always with my fic(s), future revisions apply. )

Until next time, people.


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